The Dragon and His Knight in Shining Armor
by RenXRin
Summary: "Promise me you'll protect the guild with your life, and I promise to protect yours with mine." a NatsuXErza story.
1. Gone

**I don't own Fairy Tail…I wish I do though..**

Natsu was pissed. It was obvious…it's written all over his face. And for obvious reasons too. It was already 2 weeks after the Grand Magic games and so many happened. Everything finally started to sink in, even to him. Their disappearance for 7 years had brought drastic changes to their guild. Once called the leading guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail has been reduced to nothing but a shadow of its former glory…until they came back that is. After their return, Fairy Tail has regained it's most powerful mages and has been completely revived. And eventhough they're not the top guild anymore, nevertheless, the guild has become what is was before, a force to be reckoned with. But that is not what concerned **him **now. After all, Natsu was, and still, didn't like to think much..because he's stu- not, rather his thoughts focused on something other than the concerns of the guild. Or rather someone. Someone whos sitting a meter in front of him, and currently munching on her favorite strawberry cake. And she did not fail to notice it.

"Is there something wrong Natsu?" she stopped eating. He never looked like that unless it was something troubling him. He'd been like that ever since the Grand Magic games. '_Was it because of that Sabertooth guild?_' she thought. They were strong indeed, but it's nothing to be concerned about. They are after all, an official guild and therefore, not a threat to Fairy Tail. But then so was Phantom Lord right? "Oh it's nothing really." that sounded more like a sarcasm than a proper reply. Now she's getting pissed.

"Oi Natsu, watch your mouth." yelled the ice mage sitting next to Erza.

"Just shut up and swallow your food, popsicle." he retorted.

"What did you say flame brain?" he whipped back, suddenly on his boxers already.

"I said **SHUT UP AND SWALLOW YOUR FOOD**. Or are you having hearing problems already?" he smirked which in turn popped a vein on Gray's head. He was ready to lunge him when he was suddenly stopped by someone, who was also pissed.

"Are you really going to do that, in front of me?" Erza simply said,with an addition of a death glare that sent shivers on both men. Suddenly there was silence and then, two gulping sounds. "Good, now sit, the both of you." After that's said and done Erza went back on the topic. Lucy on the other hand just ate silently, sweating. Though she's already used to it, she can't help but hold on for dear life everytime they fight, especially if they're just a few inches from her. She knew from personal experience how wild they brawl, and boy did she learn it the hard way.

"Natsu, has something been bothering you? You could tell us you know, maybe we could help." the stellar mage asked, she too was worried. "It's really nothing Luce." he tried to crack up a smile, which miserably failed. Lucy just put on a worried look and continued eating. However, Erza on other hand wouldn't let it go just like that. Afterall, they're a team right, they should be working together, solving problems together. And besides, Natsu is – "Natsu," she spoke in a commanding,yet worried tone. "Is there really nothing wrong with you?"she never should have asked that, again. Natsu was, afterall, not good with lies. He sighed, "Yes. There is something wrong." his eyes were serious, with no hint of reluctance. " What is it?" she asked. "You." came the short reply. "Wha-" her voice trailed off after the dragonslayer talked again, as if reading her mind. "It's about Jellal."

Yes, why didn't she think of that. Of course that was the reason. It really wasn't about the result of the games at all or even those 3rd generation dragonslayers. Heck Natsu could care less about those, but not when it comes to his comrades, his friends, and, she hopefully thought '**me**'. But it did make her wonder though. Natsu knew too well that this person was no longer the madman he fought years back on the Tower of Heaven, so what could be the problem about him? '_Wait a minute, he just said his problem was me, and yet he said this is about Jellal?_'' she looked at Lucy and then to Gray, and saw their confused looks. She too was confused, but realizing that there was someone waiting for a response she did not let her mind wander on anything, but one. '_Could it be, that he's jel- ah no!_'' she mentally slapped herself. "What about him?" she continued, speaking normally, trying to hide her blush from her previous thought, while putting a piece of the cake on her mouth. She did **not **want to be found out. "You love him right? After all this time, you still do. So why, why aren't you doing anything?" Natsu was never really good at words, but if anything, he was blunt, precise. He hit it right on the mark, or so he thought. Erza was speechless. She never thought Natsu would put it like that. True she did love Jellal, even after he threatened her very life, her friends, Natsu, killed Simon and tried to kill himself because of self guilt, she still loved him. But as they say, there's always a limit as to how much you get hurt. It was the very reason she wore armor. She had to move on. To step forward and bury her painful past behind her. And it was Natsu who helped her do that. The Natsu who gave her a second shot at life, who never stopped looking up at her, believing in her. The man with whom she started to- "Even though he's free, he's still a criminal. What good would it do if I tell him that? The Council would follow him wherever he goes and would do everything to catch him, they might even target Fairy Tail because of that. It would just hurt us both, and Fairy Tail too. I can't risk it knowing that this guild could be disbanded just because of my personal feelings." she lied. That wasn't exactly the reason, but it was the only reasonable one she had. "So you want to sacrifice your happiness for us?" he asked, flatly. "Yes." she replied, sighing. And then Natsu, snapped. He couldn't take it anymore. He hated being weak. Hated being protected. **By her. **"Dammit Erza!" he yelled, while smashing both his fist on the table, shocking the three before him. Even the other mages stopped what they're doing to look at the commotion. "Why are you always doing that? Why are you always giving up what you wanted just because of us? Are we really that unreliable that you always had to look for us?" he said, panting. He was angry, not at her, but at himself. Even after the training given by Ultear, he was still weaker than her. He still can't- "**DAMMIT!**" Erza on the other hand, who thought otherwise, was terribly shocked. Her reasoning backfired, badly. She suddenly felt the urge to punch herself and wished she could take back the words she said. "N-Natsu , I-I didn't mean it like that!" She stammered. "I know that my decision for this is for the guild's sake, but that doesn't mean that you're not reliable!" the mages started gathering around them. "This very guild we're in, has endured every storm that came, every problem, every challenge, and even if we had hit rock bottom we had managed to come back to our feet. It's because we always banded together, never letting go of one another, always helping anyone who are in need! Natsu, this place…is not just a guild for me. This has been my home, and you have been the family that I never had. And I..I can't bear losing anyone, not anymore.." her voice trailed off. "I know for a fact that you feel the same way, right? After all, we are birds of the same feather." She cracked up a smile. Her voice was now clear. It was the truth and no lies. And yet-

"That's just the problem, Erza." he replied in a calmer voice. "Because you are part of my family, and a very important one." Her heart skipped a beat, especially at the last part. "That's why, I **can't **see you like this." he said while facing down at the table. "Erza, do really think we could be happy, knowing that we're the ones holding back your happiness?" his voice was shaking. Everyone fell silent, they didn't know what to say, even her. "Natsu, please stop it already. You do know how hard it is, even for her." Lucy was also on the brink of crying, tears welling up on her eyes. "Lucy's right Natsu, besides I really think it would better for her if that guy-" Gray's voice trailed off, as he was smacked to the floor by an angry Cana. "Read the mood, dammit. And wear your clothes." Everyone was worried, but they did not know what to say, or even dared to do so. "Go for it Erza!" Macao suddenly piped in, surprising everyone. "Yeah! Don't worry bout us!" Wakaba added. "We can very much handle ourselves." Fried said, smiling. Suddenly the whole guild started liven up, with everyone cheering the Scarlet Knight. She looked at her guildmates around her. If she hadn't been used to this, and truth be told that she had moved on with her life (but of course they didn't know that), she could've broken into tears. "Minna.." she then felt a pat to her shoulder. "You heard the guys, now go!" Natsu said, with that big, idiotic grin on his face. _'I can't believe I'm being persuaded into doing this, and to think this was all just a very big misunderstanding. I have to fix this though and fast, before I regret it. And besides it's about time I officially put a close to this part of my life, and start a brand new one, with them." _ she let out a small chuckle. "You guys, ah nevermind." she started walking through the door, "You better not regret this." she added. "The heck we are!" another one shouted. "Fairy Tail is used in making mistakes! And big ones too! Hahaha!" this time it's Natsu. "You sound like you're even proud of it, Natsu." Lucy just sighed at their fate. Well at least she's used to it. "But before that," Erza stopped just as she was at the door, "Natsu, are you and Lisanna going out?" she asked while looking back at the pink haired mage. There was an instant reply. "What has that gotta do with this?" Natsu retorted, his cheeks in a shade of red. "Oh nothing really. I'll be back in a day or two." '_And when I come back, I'll tell you everything, Natsu.'_ and then she was gone.

"Ah~, there she goes. Good job on that Nat-" Lucy looked back only to see Natsu at his previous position at the table, eating his hot steak (well it wasn't hot anymore). "su?" Gray, who just woke up from his concussion, went up to her. "What happened, did he manage to do it?" he was curious, to say the least. "Well, it was sort of a majority decision. She doesn't have a say on the matter." she chuckled, much to Gray's pleasure. "What?" she asked. "Nothing." he walked back to where Natsu was. "I didn't have a chance to say goodbye or good luck for that matter. Well whatever, as long as she's happy, right Natsu?" he grinned when he looked at him. "Of course, and if ever that Jellal hurts her again, I'm gonna beat the crap out of him, ten times harder." He smirked.

" Yeah me too. But before that Natsu, since Erza isn't here anymore," he stopped, and then launched a huge Ice Make Hammer on the fire mage's face, "let's continue where we left off shall we?"

" You bastard! That was playing dirty!" Natsu stood up, panting. He almost died of choking back there (he was currently eating when it happened, mind you.). "You should have been prepared. You never know when the enemy-" his voice trailed off, as he was smacked again behind the head, this time by Elfman "OTOKO DA!" he shouted while lunging towards Natsu, though suddenly cut short because he was blasted away by Gajeel "Guess it's party time! Gyaha!" Soon after, everyone joined, making the whole guild alive again, as if nothing happened. Lucy could only stare at them from behind the bar, terrified. "R-right off the bat eh?" she said, her eyes twitching. "This is after all, Fairy Tail." Mirajane replied , smiling as always. Lucy just facepalmed.

"A-ano, Mira-san, what's happening, everyone seems to be in high spirits?" a small voice spoke. "Oh Wendy-san you're back I see." she looked at the sky maiden. "It's nothing really. They're just doing what they do best." she added. "By best you mean being a bunch of idiots right?" Charle commented. "Aye! As expected of Fairy Tail, saiko da!" yelled the blue Exceed. "That wasn't a compliment you idiot!" Charle retorted, pissed. She just sighed in defeat as she saw Happy joining the rumble. "You guys are hopeless."

"But it's what makes Fairy Tail the best guild right? So happy was indeed right." Wendy smiled at her.

"By the way Wendy-san, how was the mission?" asked the white haired S-Class mage.

"Oh it wasn't that hard really, Charle and Happy did the most part and I just supported them from behind." She giggled.

"Is it just me or are those two a lot more closer than ever?" Mirajane wondered while looking at the two flying cats.

" They lllliiiiikkeee each other." Lucy rolled her tongue, and also giggled.

"Oh I almost forgot, Mira-san. I just saw Erza-san going out of the guild, she looked very happy." she remarked.

"Oh that, well let's just say it's because she's having a boyfriend." the white haired beauty just smiled, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Wendy suddenly yelped. She wasn't ready for that.

Everyone at the guild was having so much at that time, bickering, drinking, singing, fighting, and more fighting, just like every other day.

They were so preoccupied that they didn't notice it, notice that there was someone that wasn't alright. But no one would've expected that, since that very person hid everything in that stupid grin of his. Until it was too late.

-the next day-

Silence. It filled the whole guild yet again. This time however wasn't because of an argument, but because of a cat. He was panting, very ragged, his body had bruises all over and his eyes showed signs of no sleep. He was shaking all over, while holding a crumpled paper on his paw.

"N-Natsu..." his tears started falling, "is gone.."

To be continued.

My very first fic. Hope you enjoyed =p.


	2. Where are you?

**First of all I just want to say that I really appreciated the reviews. Thanks everyone! Especially to the criticisms, I really loved it!**

**Please do tell more, if I have any more mistakes or tips as to how to make this fic better. **

**( I really forgot about the spacing dammit! Sorry!)**

**As I said, this is my first time writing a fic, though technically it's not my first time on FF. I've been a follower for almost 5 years now, and I must say that the stories here are what inspired me to write one myself :D**

**And lastly, I'll try to make the fic better I promise!**

**Now lets go on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, (I wanted to buy it so I could turn the whole story into a natsu x erza lov- o wait scratch that…) **

**Chapter 2: Where are you?**

A man sat idly in his chair, smiling. He still can't believe what had transpired here moments ago.

There he was, planning the next course of action for their Guild, when suddenly the doors burst open, and with it a person he could not dare forget the name. "Erza?" he looked at her quizzically.

"If you did that to get our attention, I must say you had mine." Ultear spoke, with a hint of annoyance on her voice.

"Me too." Meredy added.

"I'll apologize for the door later." she quickly replied. "Jellal we need to talk, now." Her eyes were dead serious. Jellal felt shivers down his spine.

"A-alright, follow me." he walked to the door which led to the other room. Just as he closed the door before them, he spoke, worried (for his life, maybe) "Is there something I can help you with, Erza?" he looked at her. She just stood there, with a frown on her face, looking at him. _'Did I do something wrong again?' _he thought, deeply. Hurting the girl he loved was the last thing on his mind right now. **Loved. ** But then, at that moment the frown disappeared, and a smile was in its place.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" she chuckled.

"No, not at all Erza." he lied. "So where were we?" he went back to the topic at hand.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. It's about us." she answered. She looked at him, expecting a reaction, before she continued.

"Jellal, I know for fact that you lied when said you're engaged." she spoke, a matter-of-factly. "And I know you did it, for my sake. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled back. He knew it would take much more than that to fool the Titania.

"Jellal I-I love you. You knew that from the very beginning, even when we were still prisoners on that damned tower." she stopped, to breathe.

'_Dammit. This is harder than I had anticipated. But I have to end this, I have to!'_

"But you betrayed me, forcing me to live my whole life in regret." she could feel him shaking. She knew this was hard for him too.

"You made me think that I can't do anything, to save my friends, the very people I treasured the most, you made me feel, powerless. And yet—I loved you." she stopped again. She felt her heart breaking, all over again, as she reminisced the past.

"I felt a part of me died when that tower collapsed, along with you. I never thought I would see you back again, as if fate willed so."

"You must have been disappointed." He said simply, his voice never changing. Jellal was the type of person who could hide his motives ever so perfectly. His pains were no different.

"It's quite the opposite. I thought fate gave me another chance." she smiled.

"I wanted to be together, with you again. And yet, for the second time, I failed." her voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Jellal."

"If there's someone apologizing here, it should be me Erza." the ex-wizard saint replied.

"I know saying I'm sorry won't change anything, that's why I'm trying to atone for what I have done, through this." he referred to Crime Sorciere.

"It's the only thing I could do." he felt like giving Erza a bear hug, but erased the thought. He was afraid he would do much more than that and it would end up hurting her more.

Silence filled the room as the two mages looked at each other, as if waiting for a cue.

"But you know what Jellal? I really am glad." her face lightened up, she was smiling.

"That you're free. From what Ultear did to you, from the Council, even though not through legal means." she laughed a little at the last part.

"That means you could do whatever you want." she added.

"As long as I don't get caught that is." this time both of them shared it. _'It really is nice to see her like this, with no worries whatsoever.' _he happily thought.

'_I think I can say it now. Well here goes, it's now or never.' _Erza readied herself. "Jellal, I-I'm moving on." she said slowly and looked at him.

"But I'm never gonna forget you. I'm never forgetting about us." Yes. She wouldn't.

There was no reason to, because there's no need to run away anymore. Her past with Jellal was the very reason she was here in the first place. Her past was the reason she came to be with Fairy Tail. Because of her past she met him**.** Because of it she was saved, by him. And God forbid if she said- _'Because of you Jellal, I have come to love someone like Natsu.'_

"What took you so long?" he chuckled. He could very well see from her eyes the emotions her heart's screaming. Erza is happy.

"S-Shut up! Do you know just how hard is it for me to say those three little words?" she talked back, smiling.

"Oh, those are the famous three little words I've been hearing about? I thought they were a little different from what you just said." he joked yet again.

Erza clearly did not get what he said, at first. "T-That's not what I meant you idiot!" she shouted back this time, blushing madly. Somehow she just had the urge to deliver a blow to his stomach, but stopped to do so.

They both shared laughs before continuing their conversation. The tense atmosphere that enveloped them was gone.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" he smirked. As if he didn't know.

"You don't need to know." she smiled back, proudly keeping her secret, clueless as ever.

"Then I'll just have to say, the best of luck to you both." he sincerely replied.

"Thank you." she walked to the door, when she was stopped.

"Wait, is that everything you came here for?" he asked. Even though what they talked about was clearly of importance he still couldn't believe that was the only reason she came here. After all, the distance between Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail is not that short.

He should've known better. This is Erza were talking about.

"Yes. And if you may excuse me I gotta go back." she looked back at him, waiting for a response.

"You are excused." he replied. "See you soon, Jellal." And with that she was gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

It took a few minutes before he relaxed and finally laid back on the chair behind the table. It could've been him. The person giving her, his all. But it was too late now. He sighed.

'_Take care of Erza for me. Give her the happiness she had wanted, all her life…Give her everything, Natsu.' _ he finally stood up and went back to his other members. He would not let them wait any longer. Especially **her. **_'That woman's got issues. Especially with being "on time".' _he smiled to no one in particular.

"What took you so long? We don't have all day." Ultear reprimanded as soon as Jellal got out of the door.

"I apologize for the wait. Let's continue. Uh Meredy, where were we?" he asked.

"About which Dark Guild should we destroy next." she answered, flatly. Of course, that was **always** the topic. This is after all, Crime Sorciere, the crime busting guild.

"Oh I forgot, I'm not using my Lost Magic to repair that poor excuse of a door that your ex broke." Ultear pouted.

Jellal just resigned. It wasn't everyday she could see this childish side of her. "Alright I'll go fix it." he said, smiling, which in turn gave a blush to the Time Wizard.

"You llliii-" Meredy was interrupted by a bonk to the head, by a blushing Ultear.

"I told you to stop that already!"

-Magnolia Town—

It was indeed a very long ride. Even Erza admitted it. Her neverending foot-tapping was proof of it. And she was clearly pleased when she saw the scenery that reminded her that she was at her destination. _'Home at last.' _she thought. She quickly got out of the train station, when she noticed something. She's way lighter than she should be. Could it be that it's because she poured her heart out when she confronted Jellal? No that wasn't it. By lighter she meant in a more literal way. And then, it struck her.

"W-where's my…BAGGAGE!" she shouted, suprising (and scaring) the townsfolk around her. True, the Titania never left town on any occasion without her trusty cart, which only means _'D-Did I left it there?' _She then felt the urge to punch herself, yet again. If she really did left it there, then it would mean that she had to go back to Crime Sorciere and then back here again. _'No way. But I can't just leave it there. That cart and me had been together through good times and bad. I can't-' _ she stopped thinking for a moment, remembering something. And then she suddenly, facepalmed herself.

'_I left it at Fairy Hills.'_ She then collected herself and started walking, as if nothing happened, unaware of the strange looks she's been getting from the people around her. _'So much for being melodramatic.' _she sighed to herself. She could care less about that.

The only thing on her mind right now is running as fast as she could back to the guild and find Natsu and then, and then- _'and then what?' _she stopped, again. She had been so preoccupied at going back that she didn't even consider the consequences of what she was about to do. She put her hand just below her chin in a "thinking position"._'Would I confess to him right away? No, that wouldn't be right. I'm the girl here so I should be the one waiting for him to confess.' _her pride's definitely working, against her. _'No wait! What if, what if Natsu doesn't feel the same way? Then I would end up waiting for nothing. No, no I don't want that.' _she visibly shook her head. It took her 5 minutes of brainstorming before she made a decision. Her pride lost, but with conditions of course. She's going to be the one doing the confessing, but she had to do it at the right place, at the right time. Meaning she had to it in a place where she can be alone with him, **tonight**. She smirked. _'Natsu's house is the perfect place. He only has Happy there, and he's not even human.' _But before that she had to go to the guild first, her plan would be useless if that idiot wasn't even there in the first place.

"My, my aren't you an interesting one, my dear." a voice spoke from behind. She stopped.

"Wha-" she turned around to see an elderly woman in her mid fifties. "Oh, I'm sorry if I disturbed you ma'am."

"Please, there's none taken. It's just that what you're doing a moment ago looked so adorable that I can't help but notice. Mind telling me what you had in mind that made your face like that?" she asked, with a very welcoming smile.

"Huh?" not understanding what she meant, she looked at the glass pane beside her that served as the wall of a flower shop, and saw her face in a very deep shade of red, which in turn became redder ( if that was even possible) when she knew about it. "Uh, i-it's nothing really." she answered the woman's question, hesitantly. The woman just gave a little laugh.

"Looks like someone's in love I see." she gave an understanding look. Erza just blushed harder. "Well best wishes for you and that lucky man, young lady." she said while giving her a bouquet of roses. Erza in turn, gave her a questioning look.

"Don't worry, take it as a present from me." the older woman answered. Her face gleamed as she took the roses.

"Thank you very much ma'am. I'll be going now." she bowed before walking away.

"Ah, such pure and young love, it brings back memories." she said as she went back to her work at the shop.

"Good luck young lady, for your love's going to need every bit of it." she spoke to herself, as if basing from experience. Turned out she was the owner of the place.

As Erza was getting nearer to the guild, she was thinking as of what to do with the flowers. Yes of course, she could give it to Natsu! He's going to like it for sure. And then after that she'll conf- "WHAT THE HECK AM I THINKING!" she yelled as she whipped the bouquet to the ground, crushing it in the process."Dammit I almost forgot. I'm the freaking GIRL! I'm supposed to be the one being given with flowers, and not the other way around!" she panted. _'Stop it Erza, you're losing focus! Concentrate and everything will be just fine!' _ she collected herself yet again.

She's somehow frustrated, for reasons unknown to her. She picked up where she left off and darted for the guild again, completely forgetting the poor flowers she left behind. Truly, Erza Scarlet also known as Titania, one of the best mages in Fairy Tail and in Fiore as a whole, could sometimes be…**a very big idiot**.

The doors creaked. Even with their huge sizes Erza seemed to open them with ease. Though she wondered, why was it even closed in the first place? She looked around inside. There were very few people, some she didn't even recognize. "Probably new ones." she said to herself as she continued to the main hall. But still, there's almost no one inside. Now that's weird. She went to the bar where Mira was. She felt a sigh of relief when she saw her._ 'Must be my imagination.' _she thought. She almost felt that the whole guild was feeling a little—

"Mira?" something caught her eye. The barmaid wasn't wearing her usual 1000-watt smile. Now she was worried.

"Is there something wrong Mirajane? By the way where's everybody? And why are the entrance doors closed? And where's –" she was cut off by Mirajane.

"Erza." she spoke with a hint of sadness. Erza could now see clearly that her eyes were a little red.

"Have you been crying?" she asked worriedly. Mirajane could only nod an answer.

"Natsu…left us, Erza." the barmaid mustered everything she had just to say those, before turning back to hide her tears.

Erza just stood there, bewildered. It took her a moment before those words sunk in.

"W-what did you say, just now Mira?" she had to hear it again, maybe that was just her –

"He's gone, Erza. He-he left-" now she was the one who was cut off, by a furious redhead.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" she still couldn't believe what she's hearing as she smashed her hands on the table. She then went to the other side and faced Mirajane, confronting her.

"Tell me, tell me everything! What the hell happened here yesterday?" she grabbed both her shoulders shaking her. She too was shaking all over. It is impossible for her to believe that Natsu would do such a thing.

"Where is he, tell me!" she demanded.

"I-I don't know, I'm sorry! The others went out to go and find him but as of now, we still don't have an idea as to where he went." she said, tearily. "Nobody knows what happened or why he did it, it was all too sudden!" she added between sobs. Erza upon hearing those, lost the strength to grab Mira, her hands became limp as her friend sank down to her knees, crying. Natsu was already like a little brother to her, just like everyone else in Fairy Tail. That much she knew. But he was much, much more than that,** for her**.

"Where's Happy?" she asked, trying to calm her voice.

"He's at the infirmary, at the back." Mirajane meekly replied.

"Wendy and Charle are currently tending his—Erza?" she looked. The red haired knight was nowhere to be seen._ 'Looks like she went there already.' _she thought.

'_Idiot.'_ was all that Charle could think off as she watched over her fellow cat companion. He still wasn't in the best shape though Wendy had healed most of his wounds. She looked at the blue-haired mage sleeping on the bed next to Happy. She too was exhausted. She had just came from their 1 week mission and now she had to heal the blue exceed's wounds and watch over him for the whole night. Charle felt sorry for her. She was about to come over her to cover her friend up with a blanket when she suddenly hears the door open from behind. It was Erza. She walked slowly towards them and looked at Happy.

"I need to talk to Happy for a moment." she asked, keeping her voice as calm as possible.

"He's still sleeping. He just had a rough night and he's still—" she was stopped, by a sudden smashing sound.

"I know that DAMMIT!" Erza shouted, losing her temper. It wasn't like her to be impatient, but right now she has no patience left.

"Natsu could be long gone by now to God-knows-where. I don't want to stand right here doing nothing when I know that there might still be a chance I might catch up to him. Now wake him up or I'll do!" she demanded.

Charle was taken aback by surprise. She never did say it personally, but she had to admit, Erza is one scary person.

"I-uh.." she trailed off, not knowing what say, much to Erza's displeasure.

"It's alright Charle, I'm awake." said a barely audible voice.

"Happy!" she exclaimed while jumping onto the bed where the blue cat was. Erza flashed him a glare, with a hint worry.

"I'm really glad your back Erza. Please, find Natsu and bring him back here." he pleaded.

"That's was the plan in the first place. Now will you tell me where he went?" she asked. Maybe there was hope after all.

"That's the problem. I don't have any idea where he went. I've looked everywhere, I've even been to the mountains where those big monkeys live, but I still can't –" his voice trailed off. Even for him it was too much. Charle felt sorry for him and patted his back.

"H-he left a letter for me…here." Happy handed Erza a crumpled piece of paper, which she took. The writing's almost like a scribble. It was barely recognizable. _'A kid's writing?' _she thought. But this wasn't the time to think about that now. She slowly scanned the letter, as if looking for clues.

Dear Happy,

I'll be gone for a while. Don't look for me. I will be back. I promise.

Natsu.

That was it? She didn't understand.

"Happy.." she looked at the blue feline. "I couldn't see anything wrong with this. If Natsu wrote this then there's no need to worry right? I mean he said it here that he would be back." she laughed a little, which almost hurts to hear. Happy just cried more.

"That's the point Erza. I've never seen Natsu make a letter my whole life! Heck he couldn't even write properly! He's an idiot, he doesn't do things that require thinking, that's why when I got it, I frantically looked for him!" his voice was now coarse. Yet it hit her like a truck.

"Please, Erza find him…" he wanted to stand up but his legs wouldn't move. Charle could only hug him more.

"Please don't move already! You're already hurt as much as it is!" she pleaded. "Erza-san what are waiting for! Happy already told you what he knew! Just—" she stopped. Erza wasn't moving, the paper still on her hand. Then as if remembering something, she bolted off.

From the infirmary, through the main hall and then outside, it only took her a few seconds to do so. She wasn't looking back. She had only one thing on her mind. _'Natsu.' _

While running, she tried to patch up all the information she got. They were already looking for Natsu last night, so that means he was gone the day before. The only lead she had was the crumpled piece of paper. It wasn't enough. She needed more, but where will she find it? Even for her Magnolia is a very big place. And she wasn't even sure she would find any even if she left no stone unturned. She had no more ideas. Her mind was blank. And then she—tripped. She stood up, and she ran again. _'Natsu…Natsu'._ She could only think of his name. She felt as if the world had stopped turning, everything turning black and white, drowning out all the sound before her. All she could hear was, her beating heart, slowly being broken into a thousand pieces…_yet again._

"NATSU!" she screamed from the top of her lungs. She still didn't stop. That is, until she came to _that_ place. She panted, catching her breath, while eyeing the place around her. _'W-what the? H-how did I get here?'_

She slowly walked forward, still baffled at the sight. This place…was the very place where she cried her heart out before.

_**The riverbank where she used to sit ,back when she was still a little girl**_.

Is this some kind of a joke? _'Please…not like this...' _she silently pleaded.

'_Not like this…' _her eyes are starting to well up. She walked further.

'_Haven't I suffered enough? Is this…my fate?' _she tried to reason with herself.

And then, her body gave in.

The pressure from the long ride, her frustrations, her anger, her _**heartbreak**_, had taken its toll on her body, as it robbed her strength to even stand.

She fell on her knees, her hand clutched her mouth, preventing herself from any outbursts, while the other touched the ground, preventing her from falling even further. But she couldn't stop her tears no more. It was falling freely from her beautiful face down to the ground below. She never thought everything would end up like this. That her argument with him the other day would be the last time she'll see his face. She should've told him. Told him everything. That she needed him beside her, always. That she loves him so much. But she can't. Not anymore. Everything's over. Just because she never said those words, when she had the chance.

She had,_ yet again, _to live her life…in regret.

'_Please…stop this already…I-I can't take it anymore…somebody…' _ she silently cried for help.

'_Save me…please.' _she gripped the ground, shakingly. Her heart's being squeezed to the point where she couldn't almost breathe.

'_It hurts…I don't want to get hurt…not anymore…'_ she felt like dying.

Her body finally giving up, fatigue won her over. She faced the blue sky as her body lay limp on the ground. She closed her eyes, thinking it was just a bad dream and that she would wake up from this nightmare should she open them again. But she was wrong, for when she opened them again she saw nothing…but the _cruel truth_.

'_Where are you…Natsu?'_

She's not going to his house after all.

**Tsuzuku…**

**Well did you like it? Reviews please :D**

**RenXRin out!**

**BYE nii!**


	3. I'll be waiting

**Hello Minna! RenXRin here. Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciated it. /bow**

**About the question as to why it's a romance humor fic, well, in my opinion I really can't see Erza x Natsu fics being all serious all the time. I mean Natsu, well, to put it bluntly is the type of character who just cracks things up. (I really like that part about him too hehe.)**

**So yeah. There are going to be some humor in this fic though the main plot would be on the romance part :D Well I guess that's about it lol.**

**Let's go on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail…dammit do I have to do this everytime? …can I at least say I wanted to be a part of it? LOL.**

**Chapter 3: I'll be waiting**

"Mmm..." Erza mumbled as she turned to the side. She was feeling uncomfortable. Her bed's never like this. It's not that hard nor is it too rough. It's does not have small spikes that protrude from the sheets that even went up to her nose. And heck, it doesn't even smell like grass.

'_Grass?' _she shot up. She looked around and noticed it. She wasn't on her very soft bed on Fairy Hills. Instead she was on a parchment of grass, on the riverbank. Why was she even here? She tried to recap everything that happened. As her mind became clearer, everything dawned on her.

Natsu, is gone. And she couldn't even do a thing.

She bit her lower lip and stood up. First things first, she had to go back to the guild. Maybe by any chance, somebody found him or at least found some clues. She tidied herself and slowly went there, her fatigue already gone.

As she walked, she tried to understand the Salamander's course of action. Where did he go? And for what reason? Why did he leave without even asking for permission? That letter wasn't excuse enough.

So many questions piling up…and not even one answer. She had one thing on her mind that she could be sure though—she needed to eat.

As she reached the guild she could already hear voices inside. _**'Looks like everyone's home.' **_she thought. And fair enough, most of them were there. She then walked towards them and looked at them closely. She clenched her fists. It looks like they didn't find him too. She then saw Mirajane running towards her and then hugging her tightly.

"Where in the world have you been? I've been worried sick thinking about you Erza…" the white haired mage cried on her back. The others had a look of worry for her too. She's battered, her hair a mess, and she even has dirt on her face.

'_**Looks like I haven't tidied myself enough.'**_she thought.

"I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything later. But before that, how did it go with your search?" she had to be sure. She didn't have to hear their answers though. Their reaction to her question was proof enough. They were all looking down at the floor, as if caught red-handed.

"Dammit! How could that idiot who couldn't even write properly leave without even leaving a trace!" Gray fumed. He too was searching for him the whole time, his eyebags already visible.

"Relax Gray, we won't get anywhere getting angry like this, we have to think it over carefully." Lucy looked even more tired than him.

"But really now, where the hell could he be?" Jet was also very tired, he probably ran the through the whole city looking for him.

Already released from Mira's hug, Erza walked towards Master Makarov, who was silently observing them. He looked up at her.

"Master, we need to conduct a search party for him. He's probably not in this city anymore so we need to go somewhere else. I need your permission so I could prepare right away." she went straight to the point.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you do that Erza." the master simply declined.

"What? But why?" she retorted, almost shouting.

"Because you can't find him Erza, if you could you should've found him by now." he reasoned.

Erza felt like collapsing. She has never been this hopeless before, even the Master is holding her back. She held on to the ledge of the table that the Master was sitting. She tried to steel her resolve, but to no avail.

"Master please…let me…" she felt her tears pouring out again. She can't take it anymore.

"I can't…bear to lose anyone anymore..." she sobbed as her knees gave in.

Everyone just stared wide-eyed at the woman before them. Gone was the woman who always put on a brave front in the midst of her comrades and her enemies alike. The woman they looked up to because of her sheer strength. Her stoic figure that even braved the strongest mages in the whole continent was…gone. _**She's just, human.**_

Seeing Erza broken like this, the others couldn't help but shed a tear. Mirajane ran to the back of the bar as fast as she could. She can't bear seeing her once called rival crying her eyes out like that. She too, felt helpless as she only watched her guild mates do everything they could while she watched by the sidelines. Someone had to watch over the guild while everyone's gone and she had taken up on the role. Lucy on the other hand went over to Erza to comfort her by giving her a hug. It was the only thing she could think of right now. Lisanna just followed her sister at the back of the bar. She knows well enough as to what her Mira-nee is feeling right now. Gray just went down the hall to the exit, smashing a table in the process. The protests given by the other mages about what he had done just fell on deaf ears. _**'I AM so going to kill you Natsu! What the hell happened to kicking Jellal's ass whenever he hurts her huh?' **_he thought as he stomped through the door.

"Where do you think you're going, Gray?" the Master spoke up. He too was shaken at Natsu's sudden disappearance. And much more to Erza's sudden outburst. But he would not let that falter him. _'To think that this guild would become this vulnerable just because of one person_._'_ But he can't help but be happy though. This wasn't the first time it happened. The guild was just like this when they knew about Lisanna's "death" and when Phantom Lord kidnapped Lucy. The trials they faced just showed how much the people here care for each other. This guild has become a very big and tight family. No, their bond is very much stronger than that. That's why he had to be strong. The last thing this guild needed right now is a leader who would also mop the floor with his tears, and he wasn't about to become that person.

"I'm going to find that flame bastard and make him eat his words." Gray said coldly. He really is going to whip Natsu's behind, for good.

"Haven't you been listening? I thought I already told you that you won't find him." the 3rd Master replied.

"Then what should I do? Sit right here and wait for him to haul his ass back here?" he shouted back. He really wasn't in the mood to talk right now.

"Yes." he said calmly.

"What?" Gray asked, clearly surprised. Even Erza and the others have the same reaction.

"Listen here children. I know that it's hard for you to accept it but it's the truth. Natsu is, a dragonslayer after all. He has his senses heightened up that he could even smell you a mile away. Even if you knew where he was, he would be long gone by then by the time you get there. Unless he really wants you to catch him then there's no chance of you finding him." he smiled. They stood there, feeling defeated._**'I think they got the point.' **_

"But Master, how can you be so sure that Natsu will come back? I mean, what if he went out on his own because of an enemy, and turns out he's way more powerful than him? Won't he be needing our help by then?" Macao reasoned out. Makarov just laughed, much to everyone's dismay.

"You've been with Natsu for a long time now and yet you haven't known him yet? He's not the kid you knew before who would just jump into trouble without knowing what it might cost him. As far as I'm concerned, he's a very reliable person when it comes to battle. The only reason as to why he's so reckless sometimes is because he knows he always has his comrades behind him, ready to back him up." He knew too well how good the dragonslayer is. Natsu showed him first hand, when he beat the crap out of Zancrow the Godslayer.

"And besides, we still don't know if Natsu really left because of an enemy. If that really is the reason, which I think is not, would he really bother writing up a letter which he thinks is too bothersome for him?" he chuckled.

"He would beat the crap out of that guy rather than make that pathetic excuse for a letter!" Gray spoke up, his voice going back to normal.

"That's just my point." the old man added.

Everyone just nodded in acceptance as the mood of the whole guild started lighting up.

"That idiot, making us worry like that." Cana just sighed, smiling.

"Oui, since when did he ever make us not worry?" Reedus added.

"Hehehe, probably not once." Levi commented.

"He is Natsu after all." Lisanna joined in.

Erza stood up, looking at the once gloom-filled people now turning into a noisy bunch, making her crack a smile.

"Everything will be alright, my dear." she looked to her side to see the Master smiling.

"As long as he promised, he will come back, that's for sure." he reassured her.

"Yeah. Natsu is the type of person who never backs down from what he says." Lucy added, still teary-eyed though her face is already brimming with joy.

"But then again, if it wasn't an enemy, what was the reason he left in the first place?" Mirajane asked as she came back, her sadness already lifted.

"Well, we can just ask him that when he comes back right?" the blonde replied cheerfully.

"And maybe beat him to a pulp while where at it." Gray added with a laugh and everyone just followed.

Erza just smiled. These people were just as suffering, like her. And yet, here they are now, laughing and sharing smiles, like they don't have a care in the world. Wasn't this the very reason she came to love this guild so much? Because everyone believes in one another, the trust they have on each one would not even falter, even for a second.

"You guys, really are something." she spoke, to no one in particular. This is proof, of how much they trust the pink haired idiot. _**'If they can trust him this much then I'll guess I have to put mine in him too. As if that never happened before.' **_she smiled before walking out of the door.

"Where are you going Erza?" Lucy asked as she noticed the red-head walking out of the crowd.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything crazy. I'll just breathe some fresh air." she replied, reassuring the blonde.

"Alright! Come back when you're done 'kay?" she waved at her before Erza closed the door behind her.

The sky was setting. The stars starting to show their beauty. The wind was strong enough to bring you chills to your body. This is just what she needed. She could feel heart already loosening up because of what happened back there. She breathed deeply and picked up Natsu's letter from her pocket. She looked at it.

"Guess I'll be waiting for you to come back home then." she spoke to the wind blowing her face.

"And maybe I'll teach you how to write neatly too." she let out a slight chuckle.

"_**Right, Natsu?"**_

She went back inside. She was really hungry now.

**Meanwhile…in the outskirts of Fiore Kingdom**

"A-Are w-we t-there y-yet?" a ragged voice from behind the cart spoke. And then another gargled voice.

"Oi kozo! Are you sure you're alright?" the driver of the cart asked, looking back at his passenger, or rather, hitch hiker.

"D-Don't worry a-about me! Ugh~ *burp*" he tried to speak while trying to hold out his arm upwards with a thumbs up. ( He was laying down.)

"I-I'm alri-*burp*" he failed miserably to reassure the man driving.

"I really don't think you are though. And you call yourself one of the best mages in the continent?" he sighed.

"IM NOT ONE OF THE BEST, I AM THE BEST!" he sat up and shouted, proudly, before laying down again, regretting his actions.

"Whatever. But it will still take us about an hour before we arrive to the next town." he replied.

"No freaking wa- Ugh!~" he held his hand on his mouth as he helplessly accepted his fate.

'_**I get it now. This is my punishment for leaving them behind like this. Dammit, I knew that letter wasn't enough. I should have written more! Maybe to Erza and Lucy then to Gray, I should've made letters for everyone! But isn't making that letter punishment enough? It was freaking hard dammit! Then maybe I wouldn't have to suffer like this if I made more. But if this is really my punishment, then I have no choice but to accept it! Everyone! I am so sor-'**_

(Author's Note: The following article could not be written due to the fact that it could and would cause severe displeasure and very disturbing mental images to the readers. Thank you.)

"You did not just do that, _**on my cart**_, did you?"

"Sorry…"

**Natsu is, indeed, stupid. **

**That was an understatement.**

**Tszuku.**

**Sorry, I know it's very short. But don't worry the next would be much longer. But I think I can't update until next week (on the weekend maybe). Too busy with jobs and all ..**

**Sore ja, bye ni!**


	4. Fight Me!

**Hello again everyone! **

**First of all I have to apologize for the long update, since I promised I would a week or two lol.**

**I got my reasons why but I think saying those wouldn't change the fact that I let you all down, especially the ones following the story. /sorry**

**But nevertheless I can assure you that I'll finish this. =p**

**And oh btw, thank you very much for the reviews guys! It really meant a lot :) **

**So..let's go on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FairyTail or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 4 : Fight Me!**

The sun was shining very brightly, its rays effortlessly passing through the glass window pane, which in turn lighted up the dark room inside it. And it shone upon a bed, and highlighted the person sleeping in it. She woke up, the rays already hitting her eyes, it was almost noon. She stood up, and opened her windows; the light completely enveloped her, and showed the world a beauty that matched that of the gods. Erza stretched her hands up, as if welcoming the brand new day, her hair just as beautiful and flowing as ever. She went back to her room and started to tidy herself up. She just came back from her mission yesterday and she already plans to get a new one today. She readied her hair. She looked at the mirror one last time to be sure everything is in place. She was beautiful, in every sense of the word. Her everyday training has proven its use as it toned her body to what it was now, _perfect._

And yet…her face, her beautiful face, was laced with sadness. She was still waiting. Waiting for him to come back. She smiled, reassuring herself.

'_He will come back, one day or another. All I have to do is to wait for him to do so.' _

And with that thought in mind she went out of her room, but not before marking the date today on her calendar with an X. She was keeping track of how long Natsu had gone ever since that day. _'364 days huh? Looks like I finally understood why you wrote that letter for us.'___she thought as she got out of the dormitory. She then requipped into her Heart Kreuz armor.

As she walked towards the guild, she looked back to the days after Natsu went missing. The Guild had soon coped up with his disappearance and went on their daily routine, though it was evident, that without that pink haired idiot making a ruckus inside the guild, destroying things and brawling with fellow guild members, the guild has lost its former luster. Natsu was after all, the life of the party. Every time there was a fight, you would likely find him in the middle of it. Heck, he might even be the cause of it in the first place. She couldn't help but smile on that thought. He always had, without fail, made her smile. Even if they are in the worst case scenario, he would be there cracking things up, bringing a laugh to their faces at the oddest times. She smiled even more. Just thinking about that boy always made her heart skip a beat. Especially now, when she really needed it.

The guild today was oddly busy. Maybe because she spent most of her time on missions rather than lounging here that she never noticed it like this. Ever since he disappeared, she went on solo missions, and when it was done she took another. The only time she stays on the guild premises was when she registers a mission and eating. She never stayed longer than that. Because this whole place reminded her of him. Because even if the memories she had for Natsu gave her butterflies, those same memories also gave her heartbreaks. It was like using a double-edged sword, on herself. But that wasn't just the reason. Erza always picked missions that require more than a week to complete and far away from Magnolia. She does that just in case, that maybe…just maybe, she could catch a glimpse of that pink haired idiot who ran away. _'Just a glimpse would be enough.'___But she's been doing that for almost a year, to no avail. But she wasn't stopping now. She can't. _**Because she loves him so damn much.**_

"So what are you going to eat?" Mirajane asked, with a small smile.

"The usual." she simply answered.

Mirajane went back to the kitchen to cook her food. When she was done she handed Erza her plate.

"Beef Steak with onions. Is there something else you need?" she asked again.

"It's alright, thank you." Erza complied. Mirajane looked at her, with a hint of worry.

"Is there something wrong, Mira?" she asked.

"I should be the one asking you that." she replied. As if understanding what she meant, Erza just sighed.

"Tomorrow…it'll be a year since he disappeared." she said before taking a bite at the steak.

"Oh…yes I almost forgot, I'm sorry." the eldest Strauss apologized.

"It's alright. Say, do you think he'll come back tomorrow?" she asked, her smile masking her pains, though Mirajane could clearly see it.

"I-I really don't know. Maybe?" she doesn't want to keep her hopes up only to realize the painful truth. It hurts her seeing her friend like this.

"Wanna make a bet?" she proposed, smirking. Mirajane just smiled. A little bet won't hurt right?

"Alright, I bet 100000 jewels he'll come home tomorrow." she complied. Now it's Erza's turn.

"I bet 100000 jewels he comes home…today." she said, confidently, to Mira's surprise.

"You look like you're going win…is there something I need to know?" she asked, almost giggling. Could it be—

"No it's not like that." she took another bite, her lonely expression reappeared.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mira understood, feeling guilty.

"It's just that, I can't stop hoping you know. Every day I always say to myself, that this is the day he comes back. I've been saying that to myself until now and yet—" her voice trailed off.

She took another bite.

Silence ensued as neither of the two wanted to talk.

"Let's just forget about that, shall we?" Erza broke the silence.

"Yeah let's." Mirajane replied, with her traditional smile.

"By the way, have you seen Lucy and Gray? It's been a while since I last saw them." she asked Mira again.

"Hmm I haven't seen them lately. Maybe they're, you know…" the barmaid replied, with an understanding yet evil wink on her eye. Erza gulped. She never liked this side of the girl.

"You're looking for us, Erza?" a voice from behind her spoke. Gray. She could also hear a distinct sound which was more like a pout from Mira.

"Just wanted to check up on you two." she quickly said without even turning at the person behind her. Lucy quickly took the stool beside her.

"We're A-ok! How 'bout you Erza?" the blonde quickly replied. She was really excited. Lately she could barely talk with her, with the jobs and all. All of Team Natsu are currently working solo with the exception of Happy who went with Charle and Wendy. There was no point in regrouping, since the person bearing their team name isn't here in the first place. _Ever since he left they've been—_

"Just finished my mission. Going for another one after this." she referred to her lunch. Lucy just stared at her wide-eyed.

"Eh? Why so soon? Is it for your dorm rent?" she whined. She did remember Erza's 5 in 1 room at Fairy Hills.

"I'm not like you Lucy." she said simply. Lucy on the other hand felt an arrow struck her.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Gray commented. Erza just shrugged it off.

"You alright there Lucy?" he asked, sarcastically.

"I'll live." the blonde replied, getting the point.

"By the way Erza, how about going on a mission with us?" he went back to the topic.

"Yeah. I could really use your help right now." Lucy added. Looks like her rent's due for this month.

"I'm sorry. I already registered the next mission, but maybe next time we can do it together." she smiled at her, though that wasn't really the reason.

"Alright, I'll let it pass now but you have to come with us the next time 'kay?" she said cheerfully.

This girl is always so full of spirit, that she couldn't help but admire it. Erza let out a smile. There was really no problem in coming along, but it just wouldn't feel right without **him**.

"Sure." she nodded. Gray just let the topic go. He also knew her reasons for not going. He could almost feel jealous of that idiot.

"Alright I'm done. I'll see you later." Erza stood up as she finished her plate. She put the bill on the table before walking away from the two.

"Are you really going to let her go like that, Gray?" Lucy spoke again, when Erza was out of hearing range. Her appearance was of a person filled with sadness.

She wasn't dumb. She knew Erza was still recovering from that incident and it pains her to know that she was taking it all on herself.

"What good would it do?" the ice mage replied. He doesn't know the answers too. As to how to relieve Erza of the pains she held in her heart.

Only that idiot could do it. _'That bastard is the only one who could, make her smile again.'_

They just sat there quietly eating the food they ordered.

_**She walked. **_

It was always like this.

_**Another step.**_

Ever since Natsu disappeared, they felt Erza distancing away from everybody.

_**And another.**_

Even though she's always the one saying that they shouldn't lose hope, they felt like she's the one who hasn't any. It is as if she gave up already.

_**Another one.**_

And she hardly got along with the other members. Like she's angry at them. No, more like afraid. That if she ever opened up again, if she ever tried to care for her comrades so much, it would only end up hurting her again.

_**Farther.**_

And now, they felt like she's even farther. They had to act now, before it's too late, and Erza becomes the person she was before.

_**And farther away. **_

But what canthey do? How can they let Erza see that she's not alone on this world? That they will always be there for her? That they'll never—

**BANG!** The doors to the main hall blast open. Everyone stared where the sound came from, wanting to know who the culprit is.

The others stood up in surprise. And Erza, well she's pissed. Whoever that guy was she wasn't planning on letting him go unscarred. _**'He is so—' **_

"MINNA!" the culprit shouted. It was Max Alors. He was panting. He stopped to catch his breath while the other members closed the doors behind him.

"Dammit man, stop doing that!" a member shouted.

"Yeah you almost gave me a heart attack back there dude." another one commented.

But Max wasn't even listening. As if he only came there for one purpose. He straightened himself, took a deep breath and then,

"**HE'S BACK!"** he shouted at the top of his lungs. He was crying. The others didn't get what those words mean.

"Oi, Are you talking about Gildarts?" Wakaba asked.

"That can't be you idiot, we should've heard the bells ringing if it were him." Macao answered.

"What did you say, geezer?" Wakaba retorted.

"Who're you calling geezer?" Macao lashed back.

"Wanna go at it to find out who?" he flexed his arm to Macao, which annoyed him more.

"Fine by me!" he lunged at the other man, ensuing a fight.

"Master maybe?" Levi suggested.

"He just left yesterday and wouldn't be back for 4 days." Gajeel corrected her, leaving a displeased Levi to her thoughts.

The other guild members are starting get worked up, curious as to what the sandman meant.

Erza just stood there, frozen. _'He couldn't possibly mean—'___

She was about to walk up to him to confront him when she suddenly felt something. _'W-what the, is this…magic power? It's way too strong, who could it—'___ she stopped thinking. She doesn't have time for that now. Max is in danger. She wanted to yell out to him, but it was too late.

"You idiots! How could you not understand!" he yelled back, silencing everyone. Even Macao and Wakaba stopped fighting to look at him.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT—" his voice was cut off by a sudden explosion, behind him. Someone just blew the door open, _again_…and Max along with it.

The entrance to the main hall blew up in smoke, Max falling several meters behind Erza, along with pieces of burnt wood which used to be the doors. As the smoke started clearing up a silhouette of a man started to form. And then footsteps. The culprit started walking forward, his mere presence bringing shivers to everyone's backs.

"Yo! You alright there Max?" he spoke. There were many people inside the guild; new and old members alike. But for the people who recognized his voice, it only meant one thing.

"Dammit, you should've told me beforehand you were gonna do that, you idiot!" Max replied, definitely hurt but alright. The man just laughed.

The others just froze. They couldn't believe what they're seeing or even hearing.

"Oi, you couldn't possibly mean tha-that person is—" Gray stuttered in disbelief.

"I-I don't believe it…" Lucy just held her hand to her mouth as tears started welling up on her.

The culprit continued walking towards Erza who was still standing like a nail to the floor, and still speechless. She could clearly see his face now. He walked closer, his features becoming clearer. Pink hair, his trade mark vest with his scarf and lastly, his never changing, big, idiotic, grin on his face.

"Yo, Erza! It's been a long time. Did you miss me?" Natsu asked, almost jokingly. Erza on the other hand, remained silent, like the others. Her brain tried to process what had just happened before her.

"Welcome back, Natsu!" Mirajane greeted, still with her very bright smile.

"**JU-JUST LIKE THAT?" **everyone exclaimed in unison.

"Yo Mira! What's up?" he asked as he walked pass Erza. But before he could step further, he felt someone grabbing his scarf. _'Her.'_

Her hands are trembling, her tears felt like gushing out of her eyes any moment now. She could feel it now. His scarf she's holding. The surprised stare he's been giving. His very presence. _**He's…finally here.**_

Now there was one more thing to do. She readied herself, clenching her right fist. She had to do it now. Before she breaks up in tears.

"Natsu…" she calmly said.

"Hmm what is it?" he asked, with that grin of his. She can't take it anymore.

"You…**UNDER WHAT ROCK HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING ALL THIS TIME YOU FREAKING IDIOT?**" she screamed while delivering a 180 degree punch, **straight to his face**.

The force was so strong it almost made a shockwave upon impact. Natsu flew sidewards, **yelling** in pain as he passed the tables and chairs like a bullet, destroying them in the process, until he stopped at the very walls of the guild. Everyone just stood there, scared to even speak. Until—

"HOLY CRAP! ERZA'S GONE WILD!" somebody shouted.

"Hurry! Everyone get out of the guild!" and another.

"I don't wanna die yet!" and another.

"Mommy!" everyone stopped on their tracks, and looked to where the voice came from.

"What?" Vista spoke, clearly annoyed by looks he got. And then they returned to what they're doing.

Erza on the other hand, started walking to where Natsu fell, her dark aura silencing everyone near her. She was, very angry. They stood back and out of her way, in fear of their lives. Natsu stood up shakily, clearly not recovered from the punch he got.

"O-Ouch…That hurt you know!" he yelped as he touched his enlarging cheek, surprised as he felt the Titania's grip on his scarf again. She knelt down to get a better position, to hit him.

"It better be you IDIOT!" she shouted as she went in for another hit to his face. Natsu could only scream in pain.

"Do you even have any idea as to what you did?" another punch. She had to pour everything now.

"Do you have any idea as to what we felt after you LEFT?" and another. Her tears are already welling up inside her.

"Everyone's worried sick thinking about you the whole year and you just come here with that silly grin of yours like nothing happened!" she threw in another punch, though this time it didn't connect, giving Natsu time to breathe. She doesn't have the strength to hit him anymore.

"P-Please stop! I-I'm—"he stopped, wide-eyed, as he was looking at her. _'She's…crying.' _ He felt her tears fall down to his arms.

"How…could you be so selfish…Natsu…" she released her grip from him, her voice trailing off as she tried to stop her tears.

Natsu could only stare at her, guilt stabbing his heart like knife on butter. This time it wasn't Jellal. It was him. _**He made her cry.**_

'_I'm so sorry, Erza.'_

Silence ensued. The people who were running for their dear lives now looking at the scene unfolding before them. Gray let out a smile. Lucy could only cry more. Mirajane let out a sigh of relief, with a very warm smile on her lips. _'There's no more need to hold back, Erza…'_

Erza couldn't understand what she's feeling. She was mad, very mad at him for leaving them like that. _**For leaving her like that.**_

And yet, she felt so happy. So happy that he's back. That she was able to hold him like this, with his body so close to hers. She felt, ecstatic.

"You haven't answered my question yet, Erza." he calmly said with smile. He looked up at her. _'She's beautiful.'_

"W-what?" she was taken aback, her face still filled with tears. She couldn't help but blush when she noticed how close his face was to hers.

"Did you…miss me?" he replied, his grin spread throughout his face. Erza couldn't help but crack up a smile. She really loved that grin of his.

She held the salamander's hair with her hand, much to his surprise. And then, a loud clang.

"Of course I did, you stupid jerk." she happily said, while hugging him suddenly. Natsu could only let out a whimper as his face met the _very _hard metal covering her chest. She hasn't changed at all. Yet this was what he liked the most about her.

_**Erza would've won her little bet with Mirajane. But she could care less. Because right now she has…more than enough.**_

"Welcome home…Natsu." she happily said.

"Ha-Hard…" was all he could say.

Erza stood up. The tension in the whole guild was now gone, as everyone's mood lifted up. She too, felt herself loosening up. Soon everyone was chatting lively already. The others went for the Salamander to greet him too. She started to walk away, before she was called back by Natsu, who was still sitting on the rubble.

"Erza wait, I have to tell you something." He said, with a hint of seriousness in his voice. She looked back, curious as to what he was about to say.

"Erza, I know what I did to this guild was wrong. I-I shouldn't have left like that. I'm so sorry." he said apologetically. Erza just smiled. If anything, Natsu loves this guild just as much as she does. If he does something that could hurt the guild, it would purely be unintentional.

"It's alright Natsu. Now come here and let's have a talk. I want to know what you've been doing this past year." he called for him. But instead of coming over, he knelt down.

"Really Erza, I am, please forgive me." he said slowly. She walked closer to comfort him. _'He's just like a kid. Well, he is a kid.'___she smiled as she thought so. She wanted to reach out her hand to caress his hair, but as soon as she did that Natsu—

"I should've written a letter for you too!" he spoke again. A vein on her head popped. _**'**__What?'_

"And to Gray! And Lucy! To Mira and Lisanna, well maybe Elfman too!" her eyes twitched. Lucy and Gray just facepalmed. _**'**__Idiot.'___they both thought.

"I should've written to all of you! But it was so hard making it that I only made one for Happy! I'm so sorry!" she felt herself, boiling. The others who saw everything, just gulped. _'He really is going to get himself killed, this time for sure.'_ They contemplated the ill-fated fellow. And as for Mirajane well, she just giggled.

Natsu meant every word of it, his apology. _**He wasn't stupid. He was just innocent, right? **_

That's why he never saw it coming. He looked up, and saw a black, metal thing moving fast, aimed straight to his face. _'Wha—'_His world suddenly blacked out.

"You are forgiven." she said simply as she left him, half-dead.

"W-what did I-I do now?" was the only words he could muster before losing consciousness.

Erza walked towards the bar where Mira was. _'To even think he was sorry for that reason. I should've known better. I still can't believe him. How could he be so cute and superbly stupid at the same time?' _she thought deeply, though blushing slightly her annoyance is still painted on her face.

"I think you went too far this time Erza." Mirajane smiled at her. She felt sorry for Natsu, but she can't help herself but smile when she looks at them both. It's been a long time since she saw Erza being full of emotions and it's all because of him.

"Serves him right from what I see. Hey, can I ask you a favor?" she asked.

"What is it?" she looked at her surprisingly.

"Well, I would like to give this back." Erza handed her a piece of paper. Mira looked back at her after looking at it, as if expecting something.

"I would like to decline from taking this mission, Mira. Would it be alright if you put it up on the Request Board again?" she asked, smiling.

Mirajane clearly knew where this was going as she picked up the paper and gave the redhead a slight nod.

"It would be my pleasure. Would you like something to eat?" she asked, her smile even brighter than before.

"The usual." was the simple reply. Though it was obvious while looking from her face, that she was very happy.

"Just wait a minute okay?" she winked back as she disappeared at the back.

Erza looked back as to where he left Natsu. Gray and Lucy are already there along with the other members. It looks like they were trying to wake him up. The scene worried her. _'Did I really went too far?'_ though her worries disappeared just as quickly as she saw Natsu waking up. _'What am I thinking, he's Natsu after all.'_

"W-what happened?" he asked to no one in particular. He was still groggy from what happened.

"You were knocked out. By Erza." Lucy simply replied.

"What? Why? I thought I already apologized." he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Well, you wouldn't be like that had you not said that apology of yours." Gajeel smirked at the idiot. Natsu could only stare at him. He clearly did not understand.

"In other words, you should have just shut yourself up, flame brain." Gray added. _'Really, how stupid can you get?'___he sighed. He almost felt sorry for him.

"Guys stop it already. Can't you see he's badly hurt?" Lucy pleaded. "At least make him rest for a while okay?"

"Keh, then again it was some beating you had back there jackass." Gajeel sighed as he backed away. He was happy to see Natsu too.

Most of them sighed before walking away. They were excited too just as everyone, to talk to their long lost friend. Guess they'll just have to wait for him to recover. Well, most of them. As Gray had other plans in mind.

"Lucy, stand back." he commanded.

"Huh? Why?" the blonde asked. But a look at his face made it clear for her as to what he was about to do. She just stood up and left the two alone.

As soon as she was at a safe distance Gray looked back at Natsu, who was still sitting, puzzled by something.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"I was just wondering if I heard her right last time." he replied.

"About what?"

"I think I heard her say that I'm forgiven."

"Uh, oh that. Yeah, she said that."

"Really?" Natsu looked back at him hopefully, his face depicting that of happiness.

"Yeah." Gray could only sigh. "But,"

"Hmm?" he looked at him innocently. _**Poor kid.**_

"I'm sure as hell I didn't!" he yelled, turning around as he did so, "Ice Make : Baseball!"

It was a very good hit. If it was baseball Gray could've hit home. But it isn't. There was no pitcher, no field, and catchers whatsoever. There was only a batter, a bat, and a ball…in the shape of a person.

Natsu bounced all over until he came to a stop several meters away from the _batting point._ Though just as he stopped, he stood just as quickly _(Dude seriously, what the heck is your skull made of?)._ He had his eyes set out to the Ice Mage who was smiling.

"You bastard that hurt!" he spat while rubbing his head to ease the pain.

"You don't say!" he smirked back.

"I am so wiping that smile off your face you perverted batter!" Natsu ran towards him.

"If you want more just feel free to come flame-brain!" Gray readied his stance, and on his boxers already.

"You better get ready 'coz I'm gonna strike you out ass candy!" he smirked as he lunged at the ice mage.

Lucy could only let out a sigh at the sight. "When will you two ever learn." As their fight continued she went to where Erza was and sat next to her.

"Aren't you gonna stop them?" she asked worriedly.

"Nah, I think it's just Gray's way of greeting him." she smiled while looking at the two who were still at it.

"That way of greeting is going to kill somebody one of these days you know." she sheepishly replied and let out another sigh. Erza just gave it another laugh.

"But then again, I guess you're right." she looked at the blonde. "Lucy, go find us a table. I'll stop the two of them."

"Hai!" she then walked off and did her job. She was happy it wasn't the other way around. Even with how many lives she had it still wouldn't be enough to stop those two from fighting.

Erza waited a little more as she watched the two of them fight it out, just like what they do before. Mirajane came back, along with her order.

"Here you go Erza." the barmaid handed the plate next to her. Erza looked at it, quite puzzled.

"What's this Mira?" the redhead asked her.

"Umm, your order?" she replied, not sure if she understood what Erza meant.

"This is not what I ordered though." she looked back at the plate. Beef Steak with onions.

"But you said the usual, right?" the white-haired beauty reasoned.

"Oh," she looked at the food again and sighed. "This is not what I meant Mira." she smiled, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

The barmaid just looked at her, puzzled.

"By usual I meant, my strawberry cake." she smiled back at her. And then another blush, this time on Mirajane's face.

"O-oh, I see. I'm sorry. It'll just take a minute, wait here okay?" she quickly replied before going back at the kitchen.

Erza could swear she heard a giggle before she left though. _'Crap, does she know?'_ she thought hard.

She knew Mirajane could be as pesky as she gets whenever something's up and she never stops until she gets to the bottom of it. Especially when it comes to those matters.

Mirajane is a matchmaking fanatic.

"Okay here you go Erza, one slice of your _favorite _strawberry cake." Mirajane interrupted her chain of thought as she put her order on the table. Erza couldn't herself but let out a shiver. _'Crap.'_

"Uh, thanks a lot Mira, I'll better be going now." she said simply, trying to hide her nervousness to the other girl. Mirajane could only giggle more, though she kept it to herself. _'I can read you like a book, Erza. To think that you could beat almost everyone at poker is a mystery to me though.'_

Erza was then called by Lucy who found a table by then. _Just what she needed._ Though before she could walk farther with her food, Mirajane called her back.

"What is it Mira?" she turned around.

"Mm, nothing. Just wishing you good luck that's all." she smiled and then added a wink which in turn made Erza blush even more. She quickly turned around to hide but it was too late. She tried to walk normally towards Lucy but miserably failed (she looked like a robot). Mirajane only widened her smile.

"Are you alright Erza? Your face is all red." Lucy asked worriedly with her cute puppy dog eyes.

"I-it's nothing Lucy." Erza tried to calm and lower her voice while she put down her food on the table.

"You better order your food too." she told the blonde who was still looking at the two mages fighting at the center.

"Don't worry, you know better that those two won't be going down just like that. And besides I'm going to stop them now." she reassured her.

"It's not about them I'm worried about though. If they continue this the whole place might collapse you know?" she replied to her a matter-of-factly.

"Now that you think about you're right. I better stop those two now or the whole guild would become a very big mess!" the Knight walked towards the two with her commanding aura surrounding her. "And go order your food too Lucy!"

"Hai!"

"Take this you pervert!" Natsu threw a punch to Gray's stomach which connected. Gray winced, but managed to throw back a kick at Natsu.

"You won't be taking me down that easily you idiot." he smirked as Natsu fell a few steps backwards.

"Then how about this you pants bastard!" he whipped out a flaming punch towards the ice mage but hit nothing but air. Gray on the other hand, managed to conjure an Ice Make Hammer after dodging Natsu's attack forcing the flame user to eat the floor when it connected.

"Don't even think that's just it, I still have much more to give you for the one year you've been gone flame brain! Stand up and fight!" Gray lunged at him focusing magic power on his hand for another attack.

"I am going to make you eat those words you exhibitionist! A hundred times harder!" he shouted as he went for the ice mage, also focusing his magic on his hand for a head on collision.

They were so preoccupied with each other that they didn't notice someone coming up from behind them. And then…two resounding sounds of metal clashing.

Their fight ended quickly and rather, abruptly. The victor, obviously Erza herself, effortlessly dragged the two towards their table. Lucy and the others could only gulp as they witnessed everything that had transpired. The two of the best mages in Fairy Tail…got their living daylights knocked out of them from the Titania herself, each with single blow to the head.

'_Maybe it was because she wasn't always with us that I almost forgot how scary she is. Good thing I'm not her target though.' _ Lucy felt a sigh of relief, but can't help feel sorry for the two unlucky creatures-now-turned-bloody-pulps that Erza is dragging towards her.

"You could've gone easier to them you know." she tried to reason as Erza put Gray on the seat next to her and Natsu next to Lucy.

"What I did is for the sake of the guild. This is not the place to take out your anger on someone. If you want to beat someone up you have to do it outside." She replied simply. Lucy just sighed. _'Says the one who beat Gray to beating Natsu to pulp first. Wasn't she looking at the damage she caused when she went wild a while ago? Well whatever, it's not like they're not used to it.' _

"Do you want to say something, Lucy?" Erza asked her coldly. Lucy felt herself shiver. _'Don't look at me like that please!'_

"No! O-Of course not! H-Hey Natsu wake up already! Y-you too Gray!" she stammered as she desperately tried to change the subject. Erza just shrugged her off and focused on her food. Gray and Natsu started waking up after.

"W-what happened? Why am I here?I was gonna hand that Gray bastard his ass and then everything went black." the dragonslayer rubbed the back of his head while trying to sit properly.

"You were going to do what to me, Natsu? I thought I was the one handing your ass to you!" Gray quickly replied, still not aware of Erza's presence beside him. She just sat there quietly while watching the two.

"How bout doing it instead of just saying those in front of me huh?" he flexed his arm at the ice mage.

"You're on bird brain!" Gray stepped on the table.

"What the heck are you two doing? Sit down for crying out loud! And Gray, wear your clothes already!" Lucy said in quick succession but the two paid no interest to her. _'If you're not going to stop there's going to be another bloodbath, and it's going to be your-' _an echoing sound could be heard throughout the mess hall. It was Erza stomping her hand on the table.

Suddenly there was silence. All eyes, even Natsu's and Gray's were on her. _**Especially them.**_

"If you two aren't stopping, then I might just take you on myself. Or we could continue eating here, **now.**" She said, her voice cold as ice. Lucy could feel the boys shaking as if suddenly blown by a cold front or something. Looks like they knew why they blacked out a while ago. Natsu could feel Erza's eyes boring on him which made him more unfomfortable. _'K-Kowaii...'_

"A-Alright…let's eat. I'm hungry." Gray nervously sat while wearing back his clothes.

"A-aye…" the 2nd happy seconded the motion.

"Good. By the way Lucy brought your food already so say thanks to her." she replied while eating her steak.

Everyone just sweatdropped.

Nothing much happened while they were eating, aside from the constant glares Gray and Natsu sent to each other. Erza could only shrug it off. She was way too busy eating and keeping everyone from noticing her glances at Natsu, though her face showed otherwise as her cheeks slowly matched her hair in terms of color.

Just like this. She had always wanted this. To sit in front of him while eating. She could see every movement the boy made as he chomped down his food. For almost a year she had longed to do this again, to eat together with them, enjoying the simple things they tend to do everyday. Every moment was, priceless. And she could not dare ask more. She continued eating down her food while keeping her gaze at the pink haired mage, in secret.

"Is there something wrong Erza? You don't look alright." Gray interrupted her chain of thoughts. So he did notice her.

"U-Huh? What do you mean by that Gray?" she tried to speak as coldly as she could to scare him, which worked, as she tried to hide most of her blush from being found out.

"N-No its nothing really. It's just that your face looked red a moment ago so I thought you might be sick or something." he explained in fear for his life.

"More like pinkish from what I see." Lucy cracked up a smirk. Natsu could only look at Erza curiously.

"And just what do you mean by that, **Lucy**?" her deadly eyes bored on the stellar mage. Intimidation was her last line of defense. But even if the person didn't buy it, even if the person's her friend, she could also resort to a little violence. _**Yes, she was that desperate.**_

It was a good thing Lucy just dropped the issue, along with some cold sweat. She wouldn't have to try the latter.

"No-ah, I was just saying that ah-ahaha.." her voice trailed off. _'Please don't kill me!'_

"Are you alright Lucy? You look nervous." Natsu put on a worried look which in turn irritated Erza. _'Stop looking at her like that! Tch- what the heck am I thinking?'_

"Huh what? Me? Of course I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be? Hehehe.." she desperately tried to laugh it off but sounded weird instead which just gave Natsu a goofy laugh.

"What's that for?" the blonde retorted.

"Nothing. It's just that you never changed at all. Still the weird Lucy I know." he smiled.

"W-weird? Did you even try to look at yourself?" she fumed.

"As far as I can see I'm fine. See?" the pink haired boy showed his trademark grin, which only displeased Erza more.

She also wanted to do that with Natsu. To bicker with him, have an argument just like that. She could almost think that those two look so good – _**together.**_ She quickly erased the thought, as it almost punctured her heart through.

It not like they don't argue. They do, it's just that whenever they have an argument it would always be her reprimanding the idiot, ordering him and sometimes beating him senseless. Not like what Lucy and _**him**_ are doing right now.

Maybe it's because of her being more mature than them and Lucy being childish as Natsu. If she could also be like that, like Lu-_' No way. ' _she slightly shook her head.

"That's just the point! Oh well I give up." she sighed before turning her attention to her food. Having to argue with him is like having an argument with a rock. In the end it would be her that would look more stupid.

Changing the subject, Lucy turned on Natsu who continued eating.

"Natsu, would you mind telling us what happened when you disappeared? I don't look like it but I'm really worried about you, you know?" she looked at him with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh really, you don't?" Gray smirked.

"W-what now?" she focused her sights on the Ice mage getting pissed and embarrassed at the same time.

"Enough you too. Now Natsu would you tell us now what made you go like that?" Erza asked him curiously. He could be an idiot sometimes but knowing him she knew there was more to it than that.

"Where you looking for Igneel?" Gray suggested. Natsu on the other hand, just stared at his food, and then –

"Alright I'll tell you." they looked at him, as though expecting something.

"But first, Erza…" she looked at him wondering what he would say. And then he stood up and pounded his hands on the table, getting the attention of the others.

"I challenge you to a match! **Fight me!**" he shouted, grinning with his fiery eyes boring on her.

Gray could only twitch his eyes in shock and Lucy was just as speechless as everyone who heard what he said.

"What the – heck?"

Erza only let out a sigh, keeping a very big smile to herself.

"It seems as though I have no choice." Natsu's grin only grew wider.

"**You're on." **

**To be continued.**

**Hope you liked it guys.**


	5. Holy Shit

**Hello again guys!**

**Sorry for the very long update. I never thought it would take this long. So many things to do with so little time.**

**But still, almost 2 months...**

**So umm uh, well without any further ado…**

**Let's go on with the story shall we?**

**I don't own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does.**

**Chapter 5: Holy Shit**

It was a hot summer afternoon. The sun's shining ever so brightly as people from the lively city of Magnolia continue their daily activities as they did always. Though unbeknownst to the townsfolk, somewhere within the outskirts of the city, above the hill where its famous guild is, a fight is taking place. And not just any fight, it's the fight everyone's been waiting for. Natsu versus Erza.

Though their fights have been decided countless times, with Erza as the victor every time, Natsu was never the person to be marked off. Natsu has been rapidly getting stronger as the years passed, and even the Titania herself had to admit that. Their fight with Jellal showed just how much potential the dragonslayer has in terms of fighting power. She had come to acknowledge the strength he possesses time and time again, during their fight with Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart eight years ago (technically speaking). No, it wasn't just her. Everyone who knew Natsu accepts that fact, for they themselves had seen what he's truly capable of. But even so, Erza herself is still no pushover. Already an S Class mage at a very young age, she has proven herself worthy of being dubbed as the Fairy Queen. Her fighting prowess matches that of the very best mages in the continent and her ability to easily read her opponents' movements and examine her surroundings always gave her the upper hand in tight situations. And her magic power is huge enough for her to hold a wide range of armors and weapons; each with its own unique purposes, wherever she goes. And to think, that after all that she's still improving, getting stronger as the days went by. Truly, the two has become Fairy Tail's strongest… and their enemy's **worst nightmare**.

And now they will fight each other, yet again.

"Oi Natsu, are you sure about this?" Lucy asked him.

"Come on Lucy, if Natsu wants to get beat let him! Don't be such a worry wart." Gray piped in, smirking.

"Worry wart? Aren't you even worried about him after all he went through when he came back? You and Erza beat him to a pulp, three times!" she lashed back, infuriated.

"Correction, I only got beaten two times, from Erza. I handed Gray's ass on our fight." Natsu replied knowingly.

"Oi oi, if I remember correctly I made you eat the floor twice, idiot." the ice mage stepped up, his eyes twitching.

"That was a surprise attack you did there, pervert. That didn't count." Natsu butted his head on Gray's, his fiery aura surrounding him.

"Oh? So you want me to do it again for you then, huh?" he started to take out his clothes, ready for battle.

"Again? There won't be any of that this time you – "he stopped as he noticed Erza looking at them. He quickly looked at her and just as quickly, he looked away. Gray also noticed her presence and decided to withdraw.

"For a second there I thought it would be you and Gray who's going to fight." she smiled up at them.

"And miss my chance of fighting you? No way! And besides, it's more fun fighting you than this popsicle." he smirked back. Erza could feel herself smile even more as her heart skipped a beat momentarily. She stepped forward towards the three. The crowd around them, composed mainly of the wizards of Fairy Tail, anxiously waits for the match to begin. Bets here and there were made, almost everyone going for the Scarlet Knight.

"Yeah it's – what's that supposed to mean flame brain?" Gray fumed. Even if it's true, it still didn't sound right, coming from the idiot himself. He walked towards him but stopped as he felt someone tugging his arm.

"Geez, stop it already you two! Erza are you really gonna go with this?" Lucy demanded. From the bottom of her heart she's very worried. She knew how strong Natsu is, but after what happened at the guild she couldn't help herself from thinking that something bad might happen to him. After all, she almost got killed by them during their vacation last time, and they were just having a pillow fight. This time is a fight for real. And with Erza to boot.

"If I were to withdraw from this fight, it wouldn't look good on my part. And besides, I want to know firsthand how much Natsu improved this last year he's been gone. This is going to be fun." she ended with a sly smile on her face, which troubled Lucy more.

"But you just beat him up a while ago back there, how could you be so sure that he's recovered from what he's been through today?" the blonde reasoned. A vein popped on Erza's head.

"Are you saying that I'm not worried about him as much has you do, Lucy?" she stared at her coldly. Lucy froze. "If you're really that worried about him, how about you fight me instead?" she added which made Lucy look like a ghost.

"Er-Ah, I-it's not what you think really…I-it's just that – " she stammered, clearly scared for her life. Erza smirked at herself for a job well done. She patted Lucy's shoulder. The blonde looked up at her slowly, with a face that looked like she's been caught red-handed, her tears ready to go any second now.

"Lucy, I was just joking. Of course I won't fight you. And you need not worry about Natsu too. I'm very sure for a fact that the beatings he took earlier did not affect him at all." she smiled reassuringly. Lucy could only let out a silent protest and then resigned. When their minds' made up, there's no stopping these two.

Erza could clearly see the worry on Lucy's eyes and thought for a moment.

"Natsu." she called.

"Hmm what is it?" he replied.

"Well you see, Lucy here really wants to stop this fight because she's worried you might end up getting hurt badly this time. Is there something you want to say to her?" she answered back.

Natsu just gave a surprised look to the two and then walked towards them. He looked at Lucy and smiled.

"If I'm going to fight someone strong while worrying whether I'll get hurt badly or not, I won't get anywhere. I need to be stronger, that's why I have to move forward. "he then looked at Erza.

"And to do that I need to fight. I need to beat you, Erza." he grinned. Erza smiled while Lucy on the other hand, sighed. He then patted Lucy's shoulder which made her blush a little.

"So don't worry about me 'kay? I'll be alright." he reassured her with a thumbs up.

"Oh, alright. It's not like I can stop you two even if I want to." she sighed in defeat and started walking away from the two, but suddenly stopped her tracks.

"Just one thing though, Natsu?" she looked back.

"What is it, Lucy?" he answered back and tried to discern the look on the blonde's face.

"Well, it's just that I'm wondering." she walked towards them again.

"About what, Lucy?" Erza asked, a little bit intrigued on what the blonde has to say.

"How come you always want to be stronger Natsu?" she looked at him questioningly.

Natsu, as if by reflex, quickly stepped back, clearly surprised by the blonde's question.

"S-Stronger? I- uh well… why would I not want to? Hehe." He reasoned with another question, with a rather unconvincing look on his face.

Erza and Lucy were quite taken aback by this.

'_Just now, did he just stammer?' _ they both thought, their eyebrows rising ever so slightly.

Natsu, clearly obvious of the surprised stares he's been receiving, desperately tried to wiggle himself out of the situation.

"Well of course I want to be strong! Because I want to bust the living daylights out of anyone who will ever try to hurt this guild! And I want to become the greatest mage there is in the whole world! Hahaha!" he added with laugh that wasn't even convincing at all.

"Well alright. Just make sure you don't get hurt too much okay?" the blonde answered with that beaming smile of hers.

Erza, with that somewhat irritated look on her face, wanted to ask more but decided she let go of the topic. She knew that even Lucy could figure out Natsu was hiding something but decided not to snoop anymore. _'Even someone like Natsu has something to hide and it is not in my place to know that. Putting that aside, how does Lucy do it? How could she ever smile so perfectly like that at him? It really hurts for me to even admit this, but even after all this time I still don't have the guts to do that! It's… just too childish!'_

She was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't realize the other two were already staring at her, until Natsu took the liberty to shake her off from her thoughts. This made her yelp in surprise as she almost didn't notice how close his face was to hers. She walked back a little to give herself some breathing room.

"W-what the hell are you doing, Natsu?" she asked, panting and with a furious blush on her face.

"I-I should be the one asking that!" He replied, clearly surprised himself. He wanted to say more but stopped to do so as he saw her expression.

He stood there, mouth agape. _'Why is her face so red? Is she-'_

"What is it now?" she tried her best to collect herself as she straightened her position and look straight at him.

It took a couple of seconds before Natsu's brain could register her question.

"Uh-oh, it's nothing. It's just that I wondered what you're thinking so deeply back there." He just couldn't say that he was dumbstruck as he saw how beautiful her face was moments ago.

"Was that the reason you shook me back then?" she asked back and received a slight nod from the dragon slayer.

She smiled. "It's nothing to be concerned about so don't worry." she answered. But Natsu didn't buy it.

"Would you mind telling me about it then?" he asked. This time Gray joined up with them.

"If Erza says it's alright then it's alright. Don't worry about it too much Natsu and focus on your fight. Right, Erza?"

"I'm asking Erza not you, cocky stripper!" he butted his head towards him.

"What did you say, squinty- eyes?" Gray returned the favor.

"Stop it you two, **now**." Erza commanded. "Aye sir!" The two quickly stopped their argument and faced the armored knight.

Lucy, who could clearly see them sweating, tried her best to hide her laughter. She stood there, silently watching Erza reprimanding the two about what they have done while Gray and Natsu put their arms on each other's shoulder, desperately pretending to be the best of friends. (They are actually… just not, in the lovey-dovey sort of way.) It has been so long since they have been like this. She missed it so much she could cry. But then again, there's no more need for tears.

_**He's back, and that's all that matters.**_

"As Gray said earlier, you should focus yourself on preparing for the fight ahead. You need not worry about other things aside from that. Got it?" Erza looked at him with concern and started to walk away from the two.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked. She looked back and cracked a smile.

"I'm going to prepare myself too. I am fighting you after all." She then looked back and continued walking away from them.

"Whoa, did I just hear her right? She's going to prepare for your fight?" Gray asked skeptically.

"And why wouldn't she? She wouldn't be fighting you, she's fighting me! Of course she'll prepare." Natsu answered it if it was the most obvious reason in the world.

"I'm quite relieved to be hearing that even if it doesn't sound right coming from you." The ice mage commented. It was quite obvious that the pink haired boy didn't get it.

"Natsu, this is Erza were talking about. Has your one year of being away from here the reason you've forgotten all about what she can do?" he asked Natsu with a tone of seriousness.

"Well now that you've said it, you have a point, but all the more reason to fight her, right? Yosh, I'm getting more fired up!" Natsu responded with one of his trademark phrases.

Gray only let out a sigh. _'Good luck. You're going to need it, badly.' _ He started walking away from him. "Just so you know, I'm all in for Erza." He added with a smirk.

"That's nice to hear, since you'll be jinxing me anyways." the comment instantly popped a vein on Gray's head but he shrugged it off and continued walking away.

"I'll be going too Natsu. I still have something to do back at the guild." The blonde started to walk away from him, but quickly turned back.

"And just so you know, I'm rooting for you." she winked and smiled at him before turning away before Natsu even had a chance to reply.

"Aren't you going to watch?" he shouted back at her. She quickly turned around and cupped her hands to her mouth.

"It'll be done in a moment so I'll be back before you even know it!" she stopped for air before continuing. "Natsu!" she raised her hand in a thumbs up position. "Good Luck!"

And then she went back to the guild.

The boy cracked up a smile. _'I'm going to win. This time for sure!' _ he thought to himself.

-O-

3:00 PM

-O-

Everything is set.

The crowd, anxiously waiting for the match, filled the benches around the place, the size of a basketball court, which has been set to be the battleground for Natsu and Erza. Gray and the others sit by while Lucy went up to them bringing snacks. The whole place was buzzing soundly; conversations here and there, mostly about who wins this match.

But then everything fell silent, as the Titania started walking towards the center of the field. She's wearing her usual armor and yet, everyone could feel there was something different about her.

'_So much focus and concentration. Oi, oi, you really can't be going all out on this are you, Erza?' _ Gray thought.

And then Natsu showed up.

'_As I thought, you were very much different than the Natsu I knew before.' _ she thought as she smiled to herself.

This wasn't the idiot she used to see while fighting alongside with him. Natsu had changed, drastically. He was composed, focused, and Erza could feel pure power surging from his body.

She couldn't even feel the impatience the boy showed before when he challenged her.

She knew then, that if she were to hold back, it would certainly mean defeat.

"Are you ready, Erza? You better not hold back." he chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to." she smiled back as her body glowed when she requipped into her Flame Empress armor.

The crowd couldn't help but shout in excitement as their fight draws near. It would be any moment now.

"Heh, I was expecting you'd use that." he smirked back.

"Expecting this doesn't mean you could avoid its ability, Natsu." she readied herself.

Mirajane walked towards them. "Are you guys ready?" she cheerily spoke towards the two.

Seeing the two so focused on each other, Mirajane need no response.

"Alright here goes. Match begins in 3..." she counted. Natsu instantly recoiled himself.

"2…" Erza positioned her sword behind her, ready for a full swing.

"1…" she almost felt intimidated as flames suddenly erupted from Natsu, enveloping his whole body in flames. "Let's get this over with…right, Erza?"

She could feel herself shudder as he mentioned her name in a growl like voice. True, it sounded somewhat scary, but for her it felt, seductive.

"**GO!"**

Natsu bolted for Erza as soon as Mira said the words, drew a flaming punch towards her. The armored knight however, already anticipated his movements, easily dodged his attack.

Natsu went straight towards Erza's back as she made a 360 degree turn, following him while swinging her sword for a counter. Natsu, as if knowing an attack from behind was imminent, ducked, and avoided the Titania's blade by a hairsbreadth.

He immediately went on the offensive as he tried to do a leg sweep on her. Erza saw this coming and instantly jumped to avoid the incoming attack and swirling her body at the same time to land a blow at the dragonslayer beneath her. But her mind suddenly went blank; her body numbed for a second, as she saw Natsu punch her in the abdomen. Though, the flames were extinguished before it even hit her, the force of the punch was still enough to make her fly towards the opposite end. She let out a barely audible grunt as she landed on the ground. The crowd could only stare in shock, their mouths still wide agape.

"What the—did he just land a hit on Erza?" Gray said skeptically. Soon after the crowd managed to catch their breaths, shouting ensued. The whole field roared in excitement as Natsu drew first blood.

Erza though still groggy, managed to stand up and still face Natsu. "I see you've improved…a lot, Natsu." she still managed to crack up a smile between breaths.

"Was it more than you expected?" he smirked back. She looked at him sternly.

"Yes, definitely. But still…" she started walking and then bolted up on him. "…not enough to beat me!"

She whipped her sword towards him in which Natsu easily avoided by jumping backwards. He then stopped skidding and went towards her in retaliation. "**Karyuu no: Tekken**!" a flaming punch towards her head barely grazed one of Erza's ponytails as she dodged it. Natsu again went straight towards Erza's back but before he widened the gap between them he skidded, turning and went in for a follow up attack. This time however, it was his turn to wince as his stomach met Erza's steel plated fist. He stepped back, obviously feeling the pain she dealt on him. Erza smirked, and then she charged back at him, giving him no room for respite. Natsu on the other hand prepared himself for the incoming attack. A slash. Another one and another. Natsu could only manage to avoid Erza's flurries while gasping for air. The crowd, mostly the ones cheering for Erza cheered her to end the fight.

"End it you say? This is far from over idiots!" Natsu glared back at them. "Oi Natsu, where are you looking?" Erza asked, while delivering a punch to his cheek. Natsu tumbled backwards, yet again, much to his displeasure. Erza smirked. Somehow, even in this state, she could still see the Natsu she knew back then. This childish nature of his that she came to know and love.

"Keep getting distracted and this'll end badly, for you." she reprimanded him.

Natsu slowly stood up. "Of course I know that. You are Erza, after all. And besides…I was just getting started you see." he gave her a smirk that made her heart skip a beat.

A burst of flames suddenly encased his whole body in an instant. And then from the top of his lungs, he shouted. **"Yosshaaii! I'M ALL FIRED UP!"**

He then bolted for her and in an instant, covered half the ground towards her. Erza on the other hand readied her stance. _'Another frontal attack? You're still as hard-headed as usual, Natsu.' _ Natsu's movements suddenly went slower as Erza focused her vision on him. _'But even so, it won't change the fact that you won't beat me that way.' _ She could see the dragonslayer preparing his trademark flaming fist for an attack. She stood guard as the moment to strike comes close._ 'Your moves are way too predictable and too easy to counteract, and your flames won't even put a dent in my—wait, what the—' _her thoughts stopped midway as she saw…nothing. Her eyes went wide as she finally realized what happened before her. _'Natsu you—'_

It was too late. All she could do was to cover her body with her arms as a feeble attempt of reducing the damage she was about to receive back then.

A large resounding noise echoed through the field followed up by the clanking sound Erza's armor made when she tumbled to the far side of the court. Natsu stood up from where Erza was a moment ago, his fists still brewing smoke from the last attack he made.

"What…the hell was that?" Lucy could only stare in disbelief. The same could be said for the crowd around them. She looked at Gray and found an expression same as hers.

"Did you like it, Erza?" Natsu boasted. Erza though looking battered stood up easily. But even she couldn't hide the surprise imprinted on her face.

"To think you would come to an idea such as that. Very impressive, Natsu." she commended.

"It's because…I've finally realized it. My weaknesses against you." He smiled.

"Every time we fought I've always done it head-on. And I always end up on the losing side." He walked towards her.

"That's because it's how you fight, Natsu." She tried to regain her composure, gasping for breath.

"Yeah, and because of that I never realized my weaknesses when fighting against you." He grinned while still walking towards her.

"Oh? And would you mind telling me what those are?" she asked calmly as her breathing returned to normal.

"Speed and Accuracy." he answered flatly. It just gave Erza the confused look.

"To put it simply, you were much faster and more accurate than me Erza. You're attacks are always swift and to the point compared to my brash ones. You always leave no room for errors. And you would always plan everything first instead of just rushing head-on. I can proudly say that I have a much larger magic pool compared to yours, but that was my only advantage. Everything else was always, in your favor. And I would've never known all of that if I didn't leave." he explained everything in one go.

Amused by what she just heard, she walked towards him, clutching her sword on one hand. "It's amazing to think that you would say something like that, Natsu. I never knew you as a person who knows how to accept his flaws. Especially when it comes to me. However, I wonder. Why couldn't you realize that when you're here? It's not like you've known me for just a short time."

"It's because I was too busy looking at you that I didn't realize those." he said it out, flatly.

**Eh?**

Before he could even realize what he just said, the whole crowd had gone silent.

"Just now, was that a confession?" Cana spoke, somehow unfazed by the situation, though a faint blush could be seen forming on her cheeks.

"Eh? A-are you sure about that Cana-san?" the blue haired magician turned to her while blushing madly.

"So that's how you confess right?" Gajeel spoke. He didn't really understand anything at all.

"That's not how you do it, stupid Gajeel!" Levi retorted.

"Anyhows, looks like Natsu just happened to slip his tongue by accident, his face would surely be priceless. I just wish I could see though. *Teehee.*" Mirajane beamed up at them.

Almost all of the people understood what he meant by those words. Except for one; the person who actually said it.

"What?" he asked Erza, who was rooted in place after what he said. "Was it something I said?"

He looked at the crowd and saw red faces and shocked ones alike. Even Lucy and Gray had the same expression. He looked at Erza again and saw the same too. _'Did I just say something funny?'_

'_Because I was too busy looking at you that I didn't realize those….'_

'_Because I was too busy looking at you that I didn't realize …'_

'…_I was too busy looking at you that I didn't realize …'_

'…_I was too busy looking at you…'_

**I WAS TOO BUSY LOOKING AT YOU**

'_**HOLY SHIT!'**_ he thought before his mind went blank…along with his body.

Erza on the other hand, was riding on the same boat as him.

'_What was that just now? Did he just…did he just…confe—' _her mind completely lost control as steam went out her head.

Seeing Natsu literally turned to stone and Erza having the face of a greenhorn who just drank a barrel of beer, Mirajane tried her best not to burst in laughter.

'_That phrase just said it all. What are you going to do now, Erza? Heehee, I bet even you couldn't keep a straight face after that." _she giggled to herself.

"I-Tha-That d-didn't m-mean anything!" Natsu, who somehow managed to keep his wits, pointed at Erza, who was still visibly shaken by what he just said.

"W-what I mean was looking at an opportunity to attack you from behind, that's all! Haha, yes that was it! Because all these years I was always looking for that opportunity that I never saw my own flaws! Haha!" he reasoned out in way that almost all people in their right state of mind could very well tell that it was just an alibi.

"Who the hell are you trying to kid, you idiot. With that half-assed laughter just now it was very obvious that it was a lie." Gray, who was still blushing, tried to stop the urge to facepalm himself for the sheer embarrassment Natsu made.

"But still, for Natsu to say that, could it be that he…you know…likes Erza?" Lucy asked reluctantly.

"Well of course he…" he stopped. "…he **WHAT?**" he asked her back, eyes round as saucers.

'_As I thought, his mind is just like Natsu's; sharp as a ball.'_ she sighed. "Nothing." she looked back at the two. _'I think it's better to keep it to myself. At least until I'm sure of it.'_

"Also, being alone made me train my butt until it hurt because there's nothing else to do but that so leaving the place really helped me a lot you know? And besides that, I also – hey, Erza? Are you even listening? Oi!" Natsu stopped ranting as he saw the state Erza was in. "A-Are you alright? You're acting kinda weird." He started to walk towards her.

'_Too busy looking at me? What the hell does that mean? Why did he say that? Does that mean he feels the same way as I do? No, wait? It can't be! He likes Lucy more than me. Or maybe I was just misunderstanding him? Or maybe he does…li—. Crap I can't even think straight! What do I do? How can I continue fighting like this? If this keeps up, my cover would be blown! I can't let them know how I feel towards him. At least…not yet!' _Erza tried her best to focus, but to no avail. She continued to look down, so that the crowd wouldn't see her face. She knew herself that she was already blushing madly. But just as her thinking coped up with her, she heard Natsu calling her name again. Just hearing her name being called by him literally shook her to the core. _'Dammit I'm gonna be found out!'_

She then heard footsteps and realized that Natsu is walking towards her. Her minds about to go blank again.

'_No wait. Don't come close! Crap! Stop moving!' _She still can't look up. "Hey Erza? You alright? Is there something wrong? You've been stuck there for a while." he continued walking towards her. He received no response.

"Uh, I mean, were still in the middle of the fight you know. You can't just stand there and do nothing." he asked worriedly.

She could feel the sound of the steps growing nearer _'Dammit!' _ and nearer _'__**Dammit!**__**Think Erza, THINK!**_ '

And then he noticed it. "Erza why are you-"

"**DAMMIT!"** her voice echoed throughout the field.

The crowd that was just starting to liven up fell silent at Erza's sudden outburst. Natsu wasn't an exception. He stood there, stunned, looking at her. _'What the hell happened? Why does she look so tired? Did I punch her too hard? No, that's not it. She's panting and shaking too. What the hell?'_

"Natsu…I" she spoke softly it sounded like a whisper.

"W-what is it, Erza?" he stammered after hearing her calling him like that.

"I…" Mirajane couldn't help getting her cheeks red. _'Is she going to do it…here?'_

The crowd, eager to hear what the Titania has to say watched quietly.

Natsu gulped. He never expected this one coming. _'Somehow I'm interested into what she has to say. Does it have something to do with what I just said a while ago? But if that's the case then maybe she'll—'_

"I…"

"Come on say it!" someone from the crowd yelled.

"Yeah! You can do it Erza-san!" added another one.

"Wait, Erza don't tell me you're going to—"Levi, still blushing, failed to finish her words as Cana gulped her barrel in one go.

Everyone was tense as they knew what would happen next. There could only be two possibilities.

Another confession…or rejection.

Either way it's going to be something that is not to be missed.

"**I…"** she's shaking again. Natsu couldn't stand the pressure any more as sweat trickled down his face.

"Come on, just say it already!" Wakaba and Macao shouted.

Erza is at her limits. She breathed deep and then spoke softly. "Natsu…"

"Y-Yeah?" the dragonslayer replied meekly while blushing slightly.

"This is it!" Macao trembled.

"Right back at ya partner!" Wakaba seconded the motion.

"Geez, what the hell are they getting excited about. It's not like they're the ones getting confessed." Cana sent a glare at the old men acting like kids. "Perverts."

"Aww Cana, you don't have to be so harsh. They're just excited like we are." Levi sympathized with the two.

"Hmm, you're looking giddy. Well you shouldn't keep your hopes up you know. This IS Erza were talking about." She smirked.

"Well I know that, but still…"

"Tch. They should just get it over already. Did both of them forget they're still in the middle of a fight?" Gajeel fumed.

"Gajeel not you too! And what's with the notebook and the pen? And why are you sweating?" Levi gave him suspicious looks which made him turn beet red.

"I-It's nothing!" he looked away.

"Maybe he's taking notes for future reference?" Cana cracked up a sly smile.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've done it myself if you want. I'm good at taking notes!" the blue haired girl beamed up at him.

"Shu-shut up. This doesn't concern you." He did not bother looking back at both girls as he walked away from them.

"Wh-what's up with him all of a sudden, walking out on me?" Levi pouted as she looked at the older girl.

"What are you talking about? You're practically the reason he's like that." Cana looked at her with bored eyes.

"Huh? Why me?" she looked back at her quizzically.

"Go figure it out yourself. I'm still busy watching the…fight?" her eyes widened at the sight she just saw.

"E-Erza?" Natsu gulped as he almost felt the cold metal touching his skin as it barely grazed the side of his head, taking a few strands of his hair with it.

"**I'm…"**

.

.

.

"**GOING TO BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!"**

**To be continued.**

**Hope you liked it.**

**Reviews please :)**

**Violent reactions are accepted lol.**

**Just don't kill me.**


	6. Yes way

**Hello again everyone! RenxRin signing in to bring you another chapter!**

**But first of all let me just say this. I deeply apologize for the very long update guys.**

**I had a lot on my mind (and my shoulders) lately and it's been the reason why I couldn't update.**

**And of course I also have some minor, err what do you call that? The thing the writers say when they run out of ideas?**

**Anyways, another reason for my update is that I tried to merge in two chapters into one…but since I never thought that this chapter would be this long ( no word recount lol ),**

**I continued but in the end I still ended up writing it separately. **

**The reason? It's because this chapter is a tad bit action-oriented rather than romance which is this story's main genre lol.**

**I'm so sorry but I had to put it in otherwise it would leave a very big and hollow plothole.**

**And besides, this is chapter is also a follow up for the next chappy hehe.**

**So umm, for those who think that I already give on this story…Think not! For I will see this through the end! Lol**

**And oh by the way, I always forget this part.**

**Thank you very much for your support and reviews guys. It really means so much to me.**

**Thank you very much for your support and reviews guys. It really means so much to me.**

**The above text is not a typo. I wrote it twice because I forgot to write it last time…lol**

**So ranting aside…let's get on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does. I did make this one attack move Natsu has. You'll know when you read it.**

**Chapter 6 : Yes…way**

"**KYAAAAA!" **Natsu yelped for dear life as another wild swing from Erza barely grazed his body.

He knew it was because of what he said earlier. It's the very reason why he couldn't hit her back and the very reason…he's running for his life.

'_I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have SAID THAT!' _ He figured out already that it was too late for regrets.

He frantically ran around the field while being chased by a furious yet beautiful armored knight. The crowd could only feel sorry for him as they watched his predicament in silence.

"Just as I thought. Erza has never been good at confessions. Or at this point, being confessed to." Cana brought up a smirk.

"I guess so, yeah. But, isn't Erza going a bit overboard? If this continues, Natsu could get seriously injured." Levi could only let out a sympathetic whimper.

"Oh just leave them be. Even if she's that angry she still has her reasoning with her right? Everything will work out just fine, except for Natsu that is."

Her sinister smile grew wider as she gulped down another barrel of beer. Mirajane then walked towards them with a little frown on her face.

"You seem out of it. Is there something wrong, Mira?" the brunette looked at her with worry.

"Hmm, its nothing." she looked back at the one-sided match, "It's just that, I really thought Erza would return Natsu's confession you know?" and completed her answer with a rather puzzling look.

"W-WHAT?!" Cana almost choked, coughing out her booze in the process.

"Ehh?! What made you say that Mira-san?" seconded a surprised Levi. Mirajane just smiled back at the two.

"Well, why wouldn't she?" she showed her trademark 1000 watt smile. Levi could only twitch her eyebrows. " Urmm, well…"

By this time Cana had recovered from her almost-died-from-choking experience. She looked at her and saw that Mirajane seemed to be holding something under that smile of hers. She looked back at the fight and then suddenly, as if noticing something important, her head snapped back towards the white-headed girl. She walked towards her and whispered to her ear.

"Don't tell me…the reason that Erza's so furious right now is—"

Before she could complete her sentence Mirajane suddenly backed away.

"Hmm, I wouldn't know for sure. Teehee!" she giggled loudly before she giddily walked away, leaving a flabbergasted Cana and a confused Levi.

"Cana what were you talking about?" Levi asked her curiously. Cana just gave her a stern look.

"Don't ask." And then she resumed watching the fight.

Meanwhile…

"Erza wait—"

"at least let me—"

"dammit you almost—"

"AT LEAST LET ME FINISH MY —" Natsu's pleading was again cut short by a punch to his face which sent him flying 10 feet backwards. "sentence…ouch."

He slowly stood up; unaware that Erza was already behind him until it was too late. He gulped, scared to even look behind.

"Don't move." She spoke as cold as ice.

"W-why?" he felt shivers down his spine.

"So I could cut you cleanly…in **HALF!**" she swung her sword in a horizontal motion, in which Natsu barely dodged.

"**AHHHH!"** he shouted at the top of his lungs.

'_Dammit she's serious! I've got to do something before I get myself killed! But seeing her like this, that speech of mine really made her upset. Crap what should I do?! Hmm?!' _

Suddenly, an imaginary light bulb lit up on Natsu's head.

'_Hey…maybe that could work. Well, it couldn't get any worse than this, might as well go for it. Either way, it could end up with me being injured or dead.'_

…

…

…

'_I hate myself.'_

'_Why in the world did it come to this? Why am I doing this in the first place?' _

'_Natsu, this is entirely your fault. You shouldn't have said it like that!'_

'_I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do? You very well admitted the fact that you like me in front of all these people!'_

'_Not that I hate you for that matter. It's just that…wait, am I getting ahead of myself? What if he didn't mean it that way? I think he said something about attacking me from behind.'_

'_Then, was it all…a misjudgment on my part?'_

'_But even so, that was…a chance of a lifetime. I could've poured everything right there.'_

'_But I blew it all up.'_

'_Instead of telling him how I felt I ended up…I ended up…'_

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE NATSU!" Erza went in for another lunge at the poor dragonslayer.

"NO WAIT! Atleastgivemeachancetoexplai nmyself!" He at last finished his sentence, but due to the fact that he said it so fast, Erza did not understand every bit of it.

Or rather, she could care less about what he said.

"Erza wai—**AHHHH!**" he stumbled as he faced her and luckily dodged the attack; this time between his legs.

Natsu cringed at the thought of what would have happened if it connected.

He desperately crawled away from her but stopped at midpoint as he saw the cold eyes plastered on her.

He gulped, and then he sighed. _'She really does want to beat me to a pulp.' _

He slowly stood up, as if waiting for her to come up to him.

"It really can't be helped…there's no use explaining things to someone who can't even think straight so…"

'_I'll just have to wake you up, Erza.'_

Erza, like a mad beast who found its prey, suddenly sprinted towards the dragonslayer who just stood there.

He eyed her carefully, waiting for the right time to strike. She leapt, sword in both hands, readying for a full swing.

"RRRAAAHHHH!"

And then-

"**Dragon Fang Thrust"**

…White.

Everything was colored white.

That was all Erza could see. And it was way too silent. _'What…happened?'_

Slowly, her surroundings began to take color. She then heard voices, more like whispers and mumbles, but none were recognizable.

'_I was still fighting Natsu, wasn't I? What's happening? And why does my body feel so…'_

She cringed as she felt the numbness go away, and pain taking its place.

Her vision's a bit better now, though still blurry. She could vaguely see the blue skies hovering above her which indicated that she was lying down.

"…are you alright?! Oi!" the sounds are becoming clearer, intensifying by the second.

'_Is that…Natsu?' _she could feel the ground tremble a little.

"Erza! Oi!" she heard her name being called.

'_W-what now? Is he calling out to me?' _the ground shook a little more.

Suddenly her surroundings turned black and she felt like she's being pressed to the ground.

'_Someone's blocking my view. Who is it? And what is he doi—'_

"**ERZA!"**

Her eyes suddenly shot up as she became fully conscious of her surroundings and finally realized her situation.

She also recognized the culprit instantly as it was the same person calling her before.

"N-Natsu?" her cheeks instantly fired up as she saw how close he really is to her, literally. He was on top of her and he was pinning her shoulders to the ground. She was going give him another beating but stopped to do so as she saw something for a second but disappeared just as quickly.

"Thank goodness you're alright! I almost thought that you were b—" his sentence went unfinished for he received an uppercut from Erza.

"Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?!" Natsu fumed at her as he slowly sat up and recovered from the punch he got from her.

Erza slowly stood up, panting. She still hasn't recovered from that blow the dragonslayer gave to her. It was then that she realized what had happened.

In the middle of the field, was a very large streak of red. There were speck of flames and burnt pieces of rock everywhere along the trail. And at the end of it, was where she is currently standing.

The crowd, still shocked at the sudden turn of events, watched silently at the two.

"No way. How the hell did Natsu do that? And to Erza of all people!" Gray looked at the dragonslayer with skeptical eyes.

"That was the same move he pulled before, right?" Lucy herself couldn't believe it too.

"Yeah, but it's much stronger this time. Way stronger." The ice mage trembled.

'_It only took a year. One year and you're already like this. I hate to admit this but Natsu, you really are something.' _he cracked up a smile.

"To think he knocked down Erza twice with the same move. You know, I think he might have what it takes to pull it off." Lucy smiled cheerfully.

"Pull it off? Seriously Lucy, you're taking Erza way too lightly." he sighed at the stellar mage, which in turn annoyed the other.

"I-I'm just stating the facts here! Look at that, she's exhausted already! Even though I feel bad for Erza, I think that last attack really did the trick." Lucy nodded to herself.

"If she could be taken down just like that, anyone would have probably done so a long time ago. The reason she's on top, that she is being looked upon by everyone, is because she knows how to take a beating…and still get a win out of it. I'm sure for a fact that even Natsu knows that." He took a glimpse of her face to see her reaction only to see a troubled Lucy. He sighed and looked back at the fight.

"You know, you worry too much. They'll both be alright, especially Natsu." he grinned at the last part.

"You! W-what do you mean by that? A-and why are you smirking?" Lucy let out a very red blush.

"I-It's not like I'm worried about him or something since they will be alright anyways. I mean its Natsu after all. I'm sure he'll be alright." she said the last part in a whisper but unfortunately for her, Gray heard every bit of it.

"So you really are worried about him, are you?" he teased her again causing her to blush even more.

"Oh will you just shut up, geez!" she fumed back at him.

.

.

.

'_She's still standing there. Is she alright? Oh wait, did I make her angry again? Damn I shouldn't have said those words at her! Crap what am I going to do now?'_ Natsu silently scolded himself for a being an idiot.

"Natsu." he broke into cold sweat as he heard his name being called by her. _'Crap.'_

"Thanks. I really needed that." she showed her face and smiled at him.

"Ah—" Erza's action totally caught Natsu by surprise and instead of giving her a proper reply, he just blankly stared at her.

"W-what? Is there something on my face?" she asked, faint blush appearing across her cheeks.

"Yes!" Natsu replied on impulse which he regretted a second after.

"W-What?!" she almost shouted, embarrassed by the fact that it might be true.

"I mean No! No wait that's not exactly it. I-I mean well, you got dirt on your face…s-so yeah, I-I gues…hehehe." he tried to laugh, almost annoyingly.

'_Great, I just had to say it. Why am I always like this?'_ he waited for a violent reaction which surprisingly didn't come so he looked back at her as if waiting for something.

"I see. Well it can't be helped; this is a fight after all. You're bound to get dirty one way or the other." she answered in a calm voice.

'_Wow, she's totally calmed down. I guess my plan worked just as I thought! Phew!' _he let out a sigh of relief. He could finally put himself at ease. Or so he thought.

"So then, shall we continue where we left off?" she added, smirking. Natsu suddenly felt shivers down his spine.

"Erm well, should we really continue? I mean look at you, you're all battered up." he looked at her quizzically.

Erza carefully examined herself and finally figured out what Natsu meant. Her eyes went wide.

"Your armor was the sole reason I pulled that move. Because I knew it would resist most of the impact…but," he stopped.

"You still managed to break it, with that single attack." she calmly said while looking at her broken Flame Empress armor.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. Erza you need to –" his words came short as a sharp glare courtesy of Erza shot at him.

"Need to what? Back down?" she completed his sentence. Natsu gulped at her cold expression.

"Need I remind you that you're the one who wanted this fight to begin with." Natsu shivered as her hazel eyes bored onto his.

"And since that was your condition to telling me what happened to you this past year, I complied." Her warm voice before now turned ice cold made Natsu take a step back purely on impulse.

"N-no that was not wh-" he tried to reason out but it fell on deaf ears.

"And now you're telling me to give up, huh?!" she raised her voice at the last part, scaring the living crap out of him.

"T-that's not what I meant! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Natsu frantically bowed down a couple of times before her.

"I-It's just that y-you're body's all worn out and all t-that I w-wanted you to…y-you know…s-stop the fight." He looked at her pleadingly hoping that she wouldn't go in a fit of rage yet again.

"I see." her calm tone returned. Natsu let out the air he never knew he was keeping in as he sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah right? I mean we could just continue the fi –"

"You've not only grown in strength this past year, but also the nerve to underestimate me. Am I right…**Natsu**?" she smiled at him slowly in an expression that showed murderous intent.

'_Oh crap, I'm going to get killed! She's going to kill me!" _Natsu thought as he kneeled there, too afraid to even move or speak.

.

.

.

Silence began to envelope the two as time went on.

The crowd around them can't even bare to speak nor make a sound as the aura of impending doom slowly filled the whole place.

"That Erza, she really is one scary woman isn't she?" Macao let out a sympathetic sigh.

"Yeah, I somehow have an idea on what Natsu's feeling right now." Wakaba stated.

"Like a pig in a slaughterhouse." they both nodded in unison.

"The silence is killing me. Hey, Natsu is going to be alright, right?" Levi looked at Cana but the other girl seemed to be lost in thought.

"If my hunch is correct Natsu will be fine. Let's just put it that way." Cana finally answered as if she's reassured of something.

"Hunch? You mean you're just going to base it all on intuition? Forget about guessing, what if your hunch is wrong?" Levi retorted

"Oh c'mon now. As long he doesn't push Erza's buttons the wrong way he'll be alright!" Cana gleamed back at her.

"Which is exactly NOT the point now, right? Oh, I give up. I just hope Natsu is prepared for the worst to come." the blue haired girl contemplated.

_On the other side of the court._

"Hmm…So this is what Lucy calls a yandere huh?" Gajeel nodded to himself as he wrote down the word in his notebook.

"I don't think that's the right word to describe her though." a low voice behind him spoke which instantly sent Gajeel jumping off his seat, well almost.

"You son of a —. Where the hell did you come from!?" Gajeel almost yelled at the guy if not for the unwavering silence around them.

"Oops sorry. I just never thought of you as the guy who'd get so surprised just by that. My bad, hehe." Loki smirked at him. Gajeel shrugged it off and went to look back at the fight.

"It seems as though Lucy has been giving you some thorough advice for you to know that word. Mind telling me who're you gonna use it for?" he looked at him knowingly which only pissed the Iron Dragonslayer more.

"Tch. It's none of your damn business so why would I bother answering huh?" Gajeel glared back at him.

"Okay okay, I give up. So long as my dear Princess is not romantically involved it's fine by me. So don't get mad now 'kay?" He smiled back at him as he struck his "cool guy" pose.

"Y-you…don't come near me. You're giving me the creeps." Gajeel twitched his eyes as he took a step back from Loki.

"Aw that hurts, being told by that. And to top it off, by a guy." the celestial spirit frowned at him.

"Then stop doing those things you bastard!" Gajeel told him as softly as he could, controlling his temper.

"Hai, hai." he walked away to Gajeel's relief. _'What the hell is with that guy?! Okay, where was I… ' _he deeply thought to himself.

"Oh by the way, the reason why I did not approve of you calling Erza a yandere is that the word was just too brutal for her, though it fits her sometimes, like now. I think the right word to describe her is tsundere! Yep, that fits her perfectly, right?" Loki popped back behind him like nothing happened, which in turn popped a few of Gajeel's veins.

"You know, I really appreciate what you said right now." he said in a very unusual calm yet shaky tone which instantly sent shivers to the celestial spirit behind him.

"But I still have much to learn on this field so," he turned around him slowly and…

"**how 'bout we tackle this together, bit by bit, eh?"** he showed his murderous face along with his iron sword (A/N: It's a chainsaw actually.) towards Loki who has his hair already standing on ends.

The saw instantly revolved its teeth and reached maximum speed in a matter of seconds which only terrified the spirit more.

"Er I-I would really love to but, oh look at the time! It seems that I got a scheduled date right at this moment. I gotta go now, see ya!" he frantically said as he ran away from him.

"You bastard, when I get my hands on you…*sigh* well whatever. Now where was I?" he went back on taking notes.

And then, an idea flashed through his mind.

'_Did I just make an Erza "I'll kill you!" look on Loki? Hmm…!? Then does that make me…like Erza, a tsundere?'_

A loud breaking sound was heard as Gajeel punched a hole through the bench he was sitting on.

'_NO WAY IN HELL I AM!' _he thought as steam puffed out from his head. He managed to calm down himself after a few moments.

'_That bastard! It's all his fault! When I see him I'll make sure he gets what he's asking for!' _he clenched his teeth as he watched the fight once more.

To Natsu, the silence between them was brutal. He was going to break the ice when Erza suddenly turned around and sighed heavily.

"E-Erz—"

"It's alright…Natsu." she said calmly. Natsu just went wide-eyed.

She looked back at him and smiled. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not that weak."

Natsu was at a loss for words. _'Where did the angry Erza that was about to kill me go? And her smile…why is it so –'_

"Natsu, are you alright?" she looked at him curiously as he broke from his stupor.

"Eh? Ah—yes! I mean, yeah I am." he stuttered as he broke his gaze from her. Even he himself knew he was blushing madly. _'So…pretty.'_ he thought to himself.

"Then should we continue? You've wanted to do this for almost a whole year right?" she looked at him worriedly as Natsu still refuses to look at her. _'Is there something wrong? Was it something I said?'_

"Nat—"

"**YES! I've wanted to do it with you this whole time!"** Natsu blurted out the words that almost made Erza go deaf. She stood there, motionless.

The crowd, each mouth agape, couldn't believe what he just said. Well, even Natsu couldn't.

'_WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY!? THAT CAME OUT SO WRONG! IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!'_

(A\N: Okay stop. Before we move on, let me show you what happened inside his head the moment Erza asked him if they could continue the fight. It might enlighten you guys…or not.)

'_Stop it Natsu, you're losing yourself!'_ a small fluttering being with bird wings suddenly appeared inside his head.

'_It's alright just go with the flow!' _another one, this time with horns and bat wings materialized.

'_No stop! Look at her! She's worried because you're not replying!'_ the other one fumed at the other.

'_See? That's because she likes you too! So how 'bout you tell her everything you've been holding up till now?'_ the other one explained like it was a matter of fact, though he said it rather loudly.

Inside his head, his subconscious self is currently at war with the other in the form of a chibi devil and angel Natsu.

'_No you idiot! Can't you see they're in the middle of the fight! Now is definitely not the time to do it!' _Angel Natsu pointed its tiny little finger at the other one, attempting to make his point.

'_No you're the idiot! He must tell her now so as to clear up the misunderstanding he created back then!' _Devil Natsu retorted once again.

'_Idiot! Do you really want to get killed so badly! If you want to die then go die yourself!'_ this somewhat, badmouthing angel of Natsu is again, badmouthing devil Natsu.

'_Stop calling me idiot you idiot! Calling me an idiot is just like calling yourself an idiot because we're the same person!'_ Devil Natsu, whose limits has been brought to the breaking point thanks to Angel Natsu's badmouthing, snapped.

'_STOP IT YOU TWO! YOU'RE NOT HELPING! AND STOP SHOUTING INSIDE MY HEAD!'_ the real Natsu has had enough of the ranting to last him a lifetime.

'_THEN CONFESS TO HER ALREADY YOU IDIOT!' _the two chibis vented their anger towards him.

'_AHHH! Wait a second! Why are you ganging up on me all of a sudden?'_ Natsu shuddered at the sight of the two figments of his imagination.

'_Shut up! This is all your fault in the first place so man up the courage and tell her already!'_ Devil Natsu smacked some sense into him.

'_Yeah he's right! Now confess!' Angel Natsu seconded the motion._

'_What, you're siding with him now Angel Natsu!?'_ Natsu said as he looked at him helplessly.

'_Yes. It's because you've delved up on your thoughts for far too long that you never heard what she said just now.' _His angel side explained in a calm yet serious tone.

'_What? What could she say that could make you, my good conscience, side with that devil! He obviously wants to me killed!'_ he pleaded for a reason.

'_I didn't hear much since I'm here busy explaining things to an idiot like you but I think I heard her say "she wants to do it…" or something like that.' _the little angel explained.

'_S-she wants to d-do it? D-does th-that mean…that?' _he stuttered in disbelief. His flying friends currently hovering above him gave him a very annoyed and disgusted look.

'_What?' _he asked the two. Devil Natsu facepalmed.

'_You know, right now I'm really ashamed to call myself a figment of your imagination.' _he rudely said it out to him.

'_What did you say you squirt!?' _he snapped, his body engulfing in imaginary flames, as he tugged the chibi devil's head.

'_I'm okay with squirt! As long as nobody calls me a pervert! Heck I bet the face your making a second ago can't be shown on TV without it being rated 18+ ! HAHAHAHA!' _he laughed almost hysterically but stopped when he felt the grip on his head becoming tighter. He tapped his tiny hands on Natsu's as a signal of giving up._ 'TAP! TAP! TAP!'_

'_Sorry but I'm with him on this one master. You shouldn't let your hidden desires show on your face like that. What would our Erza feel if you did that in front of her?'_ Angel Natsu's words struck home as Natsu let go of Devil Natsu and sank to his knees.

'_To be ridiculed and reprimanded by my own imagination, t-this is too much.' _he shakily kneeled down.

'_Yeah I think so too.' _The devil and the angel both nodded in agreement which only added insult to injury.

'_But…' _he slowly stood up.

'_There's no way in hell I'm letting this stop me!' _he roared as another imaginary cloak of flames enveloped him. The two chibis also cheered up with him.

'_I'M ALL FIRED UP!' the three yelled in unison._

'_Alright let's do this. It's now or never!' _Natsu readied himself as the two chibis gave him thumbs up. And then he was gone.

'_Hey how come were still here?' _Angel Natsu asked the other.

'_Why are you asking me? More importantly, you sure you heard her right?' _the chibi Devil asked.

'_Well of course I did. Well, sort of.' the angel replied with a sheepish smile._

'_Sort…of?' _at that instant, the chibi devil snapped.

'_YOU FREAKIN EXCUSE FOR A BIRD! WHAT IF IT WAS ANO—'_

(A/N: Hai stop! Okay now let's go back on track. By the way, this all happened in more or less than a few seconds, in Natsu's mind.)

Natsu was dumbstruck. So were Erza and the other people who heard it. In other words, the whole place, went silent. And then someone who can't keep it in herself, laughed.

"**Hahahahaha! That was too funny! Too funny I tell ya! Hahahaha!"** Cana's laugh roared through the whole place as she drank her beer.

Even with the ensuing silence she still continued to laugh so a blushing Levi went up and asked her to stop. Basically, she was drunk. The other people also tried not to laugh, but after hearing Cana's outburst, they finally gave in and laughed too, though only a little. The other people, especially the Fairy Tail mages (with the exception of Cana), tried to keep it in. They knew far too well what would happen if they made fun of the Titania. But it was too late. And it wasn't what they quite expected.

"**SILENCE!" **she shouted at the top of her lungs. The whole court fell silent yet again. Erza straightened herself and looked at Natsu who was shaking uncontrollably.

'_Why in the world did I say those things? What the hell got into me?! WHY THE FUCK DID I LISTEN TO THOSE TWO FREAKIN' VERSIONS OF ME?!' _Natsu contemplated his incoming ill-fated destiny.

"Natsu…" Erza finally spoke up.

"Y-yes?" He answered slowly.

"Did you by any chance, know what you just said?" her words struck him. Her eyes are looking to none other but him.

'_She wanted to hear the truth, from me. I guess I'll just have to be honest. All I wanted was to…'_

"Yes I do." was his answer. The people around them just gasped in shock. Erza stood unfazed and smiled.

"And?" she asked him one more time.

"It's not what you think it is." Natsu grinned back at her.

"Then would you mind saying it again?" she asked again, this time her voice a little livelier than before.

"I want to continue where we left off." his grin grew wider, his flames starting to come out of his body.

"**Because beating you is something I wanted to do this whole time!" **his flames engulfed his body once more as he stood guard.

"Well said." her smile disappeared as she requipped into her Soaring Armor. "Then let's continue, Natsu."

Everybody breathe a sigh of relief as the series of awkward misunderstandings and silence finally came to an end. Now everyone is anticipating the battle that is to come. For this time, there's no holding back. Natsu readied his stance, his fiery aura still enveloping him as Erza distanced away from him.

'_It's alright Natsu. I'll prove it to you. That like you, I'm not the Erza you knew a year before. I've grown stronger so…please…' _she silently clenched her fists.

'…_don't look at me like that anymore.' _she looked back at him. _'I'm sorry, but I can't afford myself to lose.'_

'_I have a lot of things on my mind right now, but it can wait. Fighting him half-heartedly would surely cost me my victory.' _she composed herself.

And then…

'_Round two, begin.'_

"Let's go."

Erza used her armor's ability to quickly dash towards Natsu who was already on guard to deliver a frontal attack. Natsu already anticipated this and readied to counter her.

'_Got ya!'_ he thought as he whipped up a flaming fist towards his incoming attacker. The attack connected, or so he thought. He suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the side of his head as Erza's foot hit him. He stumbled forward, but regained his stance quickly.

'_As I thought, she's way faster than before. This is going to be quite a problem.'_ he smirked to himself.

"Where are you looking, Natsu?" Erza spoke as she delivered a thrusting attack with her sword.

The attack barely grazed Natsu's head as he dodged it just on time. Thinking that the missed attack gave him an opportunity to strike, he retaliated. But he saw nothing but air, as Erza dashed her way behind him in an instant, giving him another roundhouse kick to the side. But this time he managed to block it with his arm. He swirled around and faced her, and gave her a close up Fire Dragon's Roar. But Erza easily dodged it by back stepping just before Natsu's attack landed on her. She then dashed her way to the side as Natsu was still performing his breath attack, giving him no time to defend himself. A very strong hit from the hilt of her sword struck down Natsu as he flew backwards. The crowd roared at the quick yet deadly attacks the two exchanged.

Natsu quickly stood up and made a mad dash towards his opponent, flaming hands on the ready. Erza, anticipating a surprise attack like what he did before, also prepared for a counterattack.

"Eat this!" Natsu yelled as he whipped up his flaming fist towards her. Then a magical circle just behind his elbow opened and released a compact yet massive amount of flame, doubling his fist's firepower and speed. His fist was in striking range in an instant, about to deliver some serious damage to whoever it hits.

'_I was waiting for that!' _Erza smirked as she back stepped while requipping her Adamantine Armor.

**CLANK! **

The ground shook momentarily as the attack connected, releasing a shockwave that left a small crater around it.

Natsu winced in pain as his fist met Erza's immovable object. "Dammit! Ouch! That hurts!." he yelped as he jumped backwards.

"It seems as though you forgot about my requipping ability, Natsu." she smiled slyly as she requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "I'll make sure that this time, you won't."

'_Though I have to admit, that punch was pretty strong to have dented my Adamantine Armor, even if it was a little. I'll have to be more careful.'_ she thought as leaped high into the air.

"Circle Sword!" she swirled as series of swords circled around her. Natsu on the other hand huffed and readied another breath attack.

"**BLUMENBLATT!"**

"**KARYUU NO HOKOU!"**

The attacks collided with each other and created a shockwave around the field, covering the whole place with dust. Erza stood calmly, amidst the poor vision of her surroundings due to the dust cloud. She focused on anticipating Natsu's next move as she used the temporary smoke screen to her advantage by blending in it. But it was no use. Natsu's incredible sense of smell is not just for show. The dragonslayer leapt behind her and fired a series of fireballs with his hands, much to Erza's surprise. (A\N: If you're having a hard time imagining how Natsu does that, just try thinking about Zuko of Avatar: The Last Airbender(cartoon) when he does his firebending.)

'_Since when did he know how to shoot projectiles like that?! No wait, this is not the time to be losing my composure. Focus!' _she thought as she dodged Natsu's barrage of fireballs.

"**KARYUU NO KOUEN!"** He yelled as he made a giant ball of fire with both of his hands and threw it on the Titania. She readied herself in response.

"Did you really think it would take just that to beat me?!" she twirled as the gigantic ball of fire neared her. And then using her dual magical blades she sliced the ball which exploded on impact.

She masked herself in the explosion and made a frontal attack on Natsu who was still afloat on the air. _'There's no room for you to run in there Natsu. I've got you!'_ she leapt up to deal him a serious blow to the body.

But it was a very big miscalculation on her part. For Natsu was expecting her to do just that. Erza herself was also in the air, so there was also no room for her to hide, and no ground for her feet to touch so she could traverse direction. She was basically, defenseless.

'_W-what the? A magical circle…on his whole body?!' _her eyes narrowed as she looked at him readying his counterattack.

"You right on schedule, Erza." Natsu grinned as the magical circle behind him exploded sending his flaming body towards Erza like a larged sized bullet.

'_Crap I need to-!'_

"Requi—"

"**DUAL DRAGON FANG THRUST!"**

Erza took the attack at point blank range before she could even requip into her ultimate defense armor. The attack dragged her onto the other side of the court and blew her outside the fighting arena and straight into the storage house at the back. Natsu on the other hand landed on the trail of fire his attack made. He walked slowly towards where Erza fell, panting heavily. It seems as though the move he pulled earlier took a toll on him. Erza tried to stand up, to no avail. She still hasn't recovered from the damage she sustained a moment ago. Her Heaven's Wheel Armor was now in pieces and every part of her body especially her abdomen where she received most of the attack, hurts like hell. The crowd, shocked with the sudden turn of events watched in anticipation as to what's going to happen next.

'_Too close. That was too close. I managed to reduce the damage by shielding myself with my arms and yet, it still hurts so much.'_ she thought as she finally got the strength to crawl her way outside the rubble which was formerly the storage house.

'_If I hadn't blocked it, he could've knocked me out for good. But it seems as though I'm not the only one who's at its limits.' _she looked at her opponent who's walking amidst the flames.

'_I can't let my guard down just yet. I know you still got some fight in you yet, right Natsu?' _she smiled at him as she finally managed to stand up.

"And so am I." she walked towards him.

The crowd could only stare in disbelief. Erza was already hit three times by an attack that could normally knock out an enemy mage in an instant. And the last one was a couple of times more powerful than the previous attacks. Her armor is broken, her body in a pretty bad shape and yet…

"Hey…she's still…standing." Someone commented.

"After taking a blow like that?! No way." and another.

"And Natsu's still standing too!" the people suddenly became restless as commotions arise.

"It's…"

"**IT'S STILL ON! THE FIGHT IS STILL ON!"** someone yelled which only put oil in the flames as it was followed by a huge uproar in the crowd.

"**I'M ALL FIRED UP!"** Natsu roared as the flames around him started to circle around his body. He then dashed towards Erza who was still catching her breath.

'_Come Natsu! Show me everything you've got!'_ she prepared to counter him the second he gets close. Natsu jumped and used his boosting skill and in an instant he was in front of Erza. But he was met with a hard counter courtesy of Erza's Giant Armor. She used its ability to send Natsu flying to the other side. She then requipped into her Soaring Armor and dashed towards him before he could recover. But Natsu stopped mid-flight as he used his 'booster' to negate the effect of Erza's Giant Armor. Erza expected as much and without hesitation she charged towards him. Seeing Erza doing this, Natsu grinned and whipped up his flaming fist and went for her for a head-on collision. But just as they were about to make contact Erza leapt and requipped into her Adamantine Armor and rammed her shield towards Natsu. Seeing as it was impossible to avoid, Natsu had no other options but to face it head on. The high speed collision with an almost unbreakable wall sent Natsu flying at the same time receiving heavy damage. Erza, seeing this as a chance to end the fight, requipped into her Soaring Armor and dashed for Natsu, giving him no time for respite. She leapt and requipped into her Purgatory Armor held up her sword skyward, about to deal the final blow to her staggering opponent. _'Forgive me, but this is going to be my victory, Natsu!' _

Everyone thought the same as her, save for one.

"No…" Natsu looked up at her as if time stopped moving.

'_I did not train myself for one whole year just to get beaten by her, again.'_ he slowly gathered his last remaining strength for a final clash.

'_I have to win this, no matter what it takes!' _he felt his body heating up, like it was about to blow.

'_There's no way I'm letting that happen again. I…I have to…'_ he clenched his fists.

"**NO WAY AM I GOING TO LOSE HERE!"** he roared as flames started gathering around him again.

"This is the end, Nat—" she stopped as she felt something strange.

'_This feeling…it's just like last time! This sudden surge of magical power…so it really was you, Natsu!'_ She thought as she looked at him.

"**Metsu Ryo Ogi: GUREN BAKUENJIN!" **a pillar of flame burst forth with Natsu at its tip and is headed for Erza who was still in midair.

"Requip: Adamantine Armor!" she changed into her ultimate defense mode and let gravity take her down as she shielded herself from Natsu's imminent attack. She then felt herself being pushed up as Natsu's attack landed.

'_If I could hold out much longer, then it's going to be my win. There's no way he can break my—huh, what the…my shield is already breaking, from this side?!'_ she then felt that she was not falling down, instead she's still going up.

'_I-Impossible! Natsu by now should be almost at his limits and yet, he still drawing out this much magic power?! Natsu…just how strong have you become?'_ her eyes widened as she felt her spine tingling as her shield continued breaking apart. She felt something strange yet again. Electricity.

'_Don't tell me…' _she gulped at the sudden realization.

"**Metsu Ryo Ogi Kai!"**

"**GUREN BAKURAIJIN!"**

The crowd stared wide-eyed as pieces of Erza's Adamantine Armor fell to the ground, along with her and Natsu. Gray couldn't believe what his eyes are seeing. And so are the other Fairy Tail members who are currently watching. All of them were at a loss for words.

"He…Natsu broke through, Erza's ultimate defense, that only Jupiter could penetrate." Lucy finally said.

"No, that's not it. He broke through because Erza could not maintain enough magic power to hold out the armor's magical barrier against Natsu's attack." Gray explained after letting out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, I see." She answered back as she looked at him.

"But I never thought this would happen. For Natsu to bring Erza to her very limits was something I never expected." Gray clenched his teeth as he remembered Erza's words back when she was fighting against Jose of Phantom Lord.

_-'You're overlooking one factor, and that is Natsu. He's much stronger than me.'-_

'_Back then I thought you were just bluffing. But at the back of my head I also thought that, somehow, you weren't lying. Have you known it all along back then, Erza? That it would finally come to this?' _Gray was lost in thought and Lucy pried no more and turned her attention back to the fight. But just as he was about to delve deeper into his head, Lucy called for him and was surprised to see her shocked face.

"What is it Lucy?" he asked.

"Erza…" the mere mention of her name made Gray snap his head towards the fight. "No way." was all he could say.

The court was a mess. Craters here and there, pieces of metal scattered all over the place, and flames covered the whole arena. It looked like a battlefield after the war. And in the middle, a woman was standing. Her form a mess, armor all broken, and was staggering at her own weight. But nevertheless, she's still standing. **Erza**. She was breathing very hard and is likely to fall off any moment. She silently looked at her opponent with weary eyes. He was still lying on the ground. _'Natsu.'_

The crowd was just about to celebrate her win but was suddenly interrupted by her actions.

"I…can still fight." she wearily spoke while trying to walk towards him.

"So stand up, Natsu." she called for him. And he replied, much to everyone's surprise.

"Sorry… to make you wait, Erza." he stood up slowly, breathing heavily, and looked back at her and smiled though it was clear for everyone that he was also at his limits.

"That was some impressive move you pulled in there. I'm pretty amazed." she smiled back.

"Thanks." he grinned, causing Erza to blush slightly.

"But you'll have to try harder, because I'm not going down just yet." her surroundings lighted up as she requipped into her Black Wing Armor.

"I only have enough strength to hit you once. I'm going to make it count." she smirked back at him as she readied her sword.

"Then all I have to do is to dodge that one attack of yours." he breathed deep as he readied his stance as he looked at her one more time.

They readied themselves for the final clash.

'_If I miss, it's all over.'_

'_I don't have anything left in me, save for one more attack. One more time. I have to dodge her attack one more time!'_

The crowd fell in silence as tension started to rise up once again.

'_No matter what it takes…'_

'_No matter what it takes…'_

The silence enveloped them, as the cold blowing wind breezed through by them. And then it abruptly stopped, as if signaling the two to dash forward.

'_**I HAVE TO WIN!'**_Erza dashed towards Natsu, focusing her remaining strength for one final blow.

'_**I CAN'T LOSE!'**_Natsu also sprinted at the same time, towards his opponent.

.

.

"**RAAAAAAHHH"** they both roared as they met each other.

'_I know you're at your limits as well. So I know that…there's no way you could dodge this!' _she swung her sword in a vertical motion towards him at full speed.

And it connected. But…

'_No…way.'_ her eyes widened in shock.

'_He…NEVER INTENDED TO DODGE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!'_ she shivered as she saw Natsu's grin plastered on his face.

"Got ya, Erza." Natsu looked at her as he tightened his grip on the edge of her sword as they stood there in a deadlock.

'_He caught it. My attack…he…no wait!' _she rapidly collected herself.

'_He caught it with his bare hands so that means…he can't attack me either. Is he going for a draw?' _she looked at him closely as she examined his movements.

'_No, there's no way he would go for that, he is Natsu after all.'_ she tried to push her sword forward, but to no avail.

'_So where is it then? Where's the attack going to come from? A breath attack? No, he's far too weak to do that. Then where is it…huh?'_ she slowly looked down below only to find what she's searching for. But it was too late for her to notice.

"Y-your feet…no way." she stammered as she looked at the magical circle at the back of Natsu's left foot.

"Yes…way." Natsu smirked as the magic circle exploded and sent his foot upwards, heading straight for Erza's jaw.

'_I'm sorry Erza. But this is my win.'_ he thought as the attack connected causing him and Erza to flip backwards.

The force of the attack made Erza let go of the sword, flipping it in the air in the process as Natsu made a 360 degree vertical turn because of his attack.

'_No…I…can't…lose…' _Erza thought as she struggled for consciousness.

'_Natsu…' _she silently called for him as her sense of time slowed down.

As Natsu reached the ground first, he immediately dashed towards Erza, who was still in midair, caught the falling sword on the way with his hand and grabbed Erza's neck as she fell down, all in one go. He went on top of her, his hand still on her neck and struck the sword beside Erza's head. She slowly woke up, only to find herself in a very awkward situation (at least for herself). She was about to ask Natsu as to what he's doing but as she looked at his face a sudden feeling made her body tremble. He was panting heavily, clearly and completely exhausted, but his eyes were…hungry. Like a beast that has finally found its prey. They were hungry…for blood.

'_Natsu…' _Erza closed her eyes as his grip on her neck tightened. _'What are you going to—'_

_._

_._

_._

"Did I scare you, Erza?" she opened her eyes again only to look at a very tired Natsu smiling back at her. She suddenly felt embarrassed as Natsu slowly released his grip from her neck.

'_T-this idiot, doing these things. Does he really like being on top of me that much? W-wait what did I just…!?' _her cheeks just went redder at the thought.

"Natsu, would you mind getting off me, right now?" she talked calmly, trying her best to hide her embarrassment.

"Eh? But I was just kidding Er—" Natsu tried to reason out but was cut off by Erza's glare.

"Or do you want me to do it for you personally?" she tried to look pissed off, but even Erza herself knew that she liked the feeling of Natsu being _**so **_close to her.

"N-no thanks, hehe." he stood up and backed off from her. Erza tried to sit right up but she was too weak to even move her arms. Natsu saw this and immediately went up to her.

"Here, take my hand Erza." he held out his hand towards her, much to Erza's surprise. She hesitated for a moment, before she took it.

"Umm, t-thanks." she sat down as her armor disappeared in thin air and left her with nothing but her clothes.

She looked at Natsu who sat down as well in front of her. He was panting heavily and like her, he barely has the strength to stand up.

"That…that was some fight. I'm all spent up!" he said between breaths. Erza could only smile back at him. _'I guess that was just my imagination playing tricks on me.'_

"Yeah…you really did your best, Natsu." she looked down. She somehow felt disappointed about her loss.

Natsu looked at her troubled expression and tried to find the words to cheer her up but failed. _'I'm sorry, Erza.' _

"Hey Erza." he looked at her as he waited for a reply.

"What is it?" she looked back at him.

"Was it good enough? My fight with you I mean." he grinned, causing Erza to be taken aback by surprise once more. _'That stupid grin of yours somehow looks so good in your face. You should always be like that Natsu, always. *sigh* If I could only say those words aloud, then confessing would just be a piece of cake.' _she let out a small chuckle.

"Well, isn't their reactions proof enough? Or aren't you hearing them right now Natsu?" she looked at the expression of his face as it shifted from happy to puzzled.

"What do you mean by that?" he wanted to ask her one more question but stopped to do so as he heard loud noises ringing his ears. He looked at his surroundings and was baffled at the sight of people shouting. _'Since when did they…'_

He looked at their faces and found different expressions. Some were shocked and others were jumping with a wide smile on their faces as they were shouting his name. He could clearly see Gray with his mouth still wide open and Lucy almost in tears right beside the ice mage. Cana was already asleep by the bench where Mirajane was and Levi gave him a wide smile with two thumbs up as he looked at her. Macao and Wakaba were still together doing their crazy antics while Gajeel was surprisingly nowhere to be found.

'_I…see. So I really did…'_

"Natsu." his head snapped back towards Erza the moment she called his name.

"Erza?" he looked at her as she lowered her head a bit.

"I have to admit. This…is my loss, Natsu." The words she spoke cleared all of Natsu's doubts in an instant.

'_I..won. I finally…won.'_ Erza's eyes widened as Natsu suddenly stood up despite being dead tired a moments ago.

"**I WON! I WON! I finally beat Erza! Haha!" **he shouted at the top of his lungs. Erza chuckled as she watched Natsu jumped up and down in sheer excitement as if nothing happened.

The others just stared at him wide eyed, clearly surprised as to how he made such a quick recovery.He then looked at Gray and gave him a somewhat goofy smile.

"I bet you can't even pull this off, you perverted block of ice! Hahahaha!" he pointed his finger at the ice mage with that 'I-want-to-annoy-you' look plastered on his face.

"Shut up flame brain! You were just lucky, that's all." Gray fumed.

"Tell that to my face next time after doing what I did just now, pants bastard." the dragonslayer replied sheepishly, much to Gray's displeasure, as his attention went back towards Erza.

She was still looking at him for quite sometime which only made him anxious.

"Err, is there something wrong, Erza?" he held out his hand which she gladly took as she slowly stood up.

"Nothing much. I was just amazed as to how you managed to get back up so fast after taking a beating a second ago. And…" her words were cut off as hesitation filled her mind.

"And?" he asked her one more time. Erza tried to hide her flustered face from him, but to no avail. She's used to getting anything she wanted, with the exception of this moment.

And the thought embarrassed her.

"Well…I guess since you won, you won't be telling me what happened to you this past year, correct?" she tried to look at him but somehow failed to do so.

Natsu on the other hand can't keep himself from blushing as he watched Erza's expression.

"W-what made you think that? Of course I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything!" he tried his best to reassure her as he put his hand behind his head.

"Really? You will?" her face lighted up as she looked back at Natsu.

"Y-yeah, of course." Natsu couldn't help himself but stare at Erza's awestruck face. _'What the hell? She's so damn cute!'_

"So?" Erza asked again.

"So…err…what is it?" a confused Natsu asked her back.

"What happened to you this past year?" she continued. Natsu tried his best not to laugh at Erza's question in fear of being clobbered in the face.

"What?" Erza gave him an irritated look.

'_Always wanting to have anything you want right then and there…you never changed at all, Erza.'_

"N-nothing. It's just that, well, can't it wait for tomorrow? I'm very tired as it is." he chuckled as he tried to reason with her, to which Erza nodded in agreement.

"Alright. But you better tell me everything in full detail, you got it?" her stern voice returned, but it was laced with happiness and excitement.

"Of course, you can count on it!" he grinned back at her, causing her heart to skip a beat once more. _'I really have to get used to this feeling from now on. Right, Natsu?'_

"Oh crap I almost forgot!" Natsu shuddered at the sudden realization.

"What is it, Natsu?" Erza watched him anxiously.

"Well, it's just that I left home for a year you know. I'm pretty sure my house has become quite a mess by now." he answered her back. _'I remember storing food in there. Crap, I don't even want to know what it looks like now!'_

"Anyhow, I need to get back. So I'll see you tomorrow okay, Erza?" he ran slowly away from her.

"Hey wait! What about your injuries?" she called him back only to be replied by a grin from his face.

"Don't worry about me and try to look out for yourself for a bit. You're way more injured than I am!" he yelled at the last part just to make sure she heard it. And then he was gone from her sight.

Erza sighed as exhaustion came back full force, causing her to involuntarily sit on the ground. _'I was…really that tired, huh? It didn't feel that way though; back when I was still talking to him.'_

"Erza are you okay?" Lucy called out as she ran towards her. She looked at her and smiled meekly.

"Yeah. I'm just a bit exhausted that's all." she replied to her worried friend.

"Well don't make any sudden movements now. That bloke's right. I'm pretty sure you're going to feel pretty sore by tomorrow." Gray commented as he neared her.

"Help me out here Gray. We need to put her somewhere comfortable." the blonde requested for him as she helped Erza stand up.

"Alright I'm coming. But Lucy, are you sure you still want to be here?" Gray gave the stellar mage a knowing look.

"What do you mean by that Gray?" said a puzzled Lucy. Gray only let out a smirk, much to her annoyance.

"Well, were you not going to go after that idiot who ran just now?" Gray chuckled at Lucy's face which instantly became beet red.

"And what has that got to do with this?! Geez!" Lucy fumed at Gray's constant teasing.

"Natsu said he'd be alright so I'm helping Erza. And that's that." she stood her ground and supported Erza to stand up. Gray resigned and offered to help her too.

'_I see. So she likes Natsu too. Well it's very obvious that even Gray could tell.' _ Erza stared at her unknowingly which only made Lucy conscious of herself.

"Is there something on my face, Erza?" Lucy spoke slowly in fear that Erza might have overheard her conversation with Gray and is now glaring at her because of it.

"Nothing really." Erza moved her gaze from Lucy towards the other girl coming towards them.

"It's a shame that you lost to him, but you did enjoy the fight. Right, Erza?" Mirajane smiled at her as if nothing happened.

"Of course. It's quite refreshing to get worked up like this once in a while. Though, I wish I could've somehow prolonged it more. It's really a shame it ended so quickly." She smiled back at her, her bangs almost covering her eyes. Both of them exchanged laughs.

"Now let's get you patched up quick. Knowing you, I know you're suffering more than what your face is showing." Mirajane turned away to lead the three towards the infirmary.

"Yeah, I owe you one…Mira." Erza let out a faint grunt before losing consciousness, surprising both Gray and Lucy.

"Oi Erza, are you alright?" Gray frantically called her out as did Lucy.

"Hey, wake up Erza!" Lucy practically lost her bearing as Mirajane came up to them.

"Shhhh. Don't panic guys. Look." she pointed at Erza after silencing the two. The two complied and looked at their friend only to find that she was fast asleep.

"Wow. That scared the hell out of me." Gray wiped the sweat on his forehead.

"M-me too." Lucy sighed as she breathed heavily.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you for doing so. Looking at the intensity of the attacks Natsu threw at her, I'm quite surprised that she still managed not to fall unconscious until the end." Mirajane looked at her slumbering friend with worry.

"Yeah. That Natsu never held back and poured out everything he got at her." Gray spoke coldly, somewhat pissed off.

"Well if he did, he wouldn't be Natsu right? And I know for sure Erza wouldn't be happy if she knew Natsu did that." Mirajane beamed up at him with her 1000 watt smile.

"Yeah, Natsu isn't someone who does things half-assedly." Lucy smiled at the ice mage as she tightened her grip on Erza.

"Well whatever. What's important is that she's fine now." he finally cracked up a smile as they began walking away from the field.

The crowd who were watching the fight slowly dispersed, along with the other Fairy Tail members who watched.

And meanwhile…

.

.

.

-Outside the guild-

"H-Happy?" a beaten up Natsu froze in his tracks as he saw his furry friend standing before him.

"N…N-Natsu?" the blue cat stood wide eyed along with his companions.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy exclaimed as Charle watched the scene unfolding before her in silence.

Unable to bear it all, Natsu made a mad dash towards his feline best friend while shouting his name.

"Happy!" he shouted while crying as the scene went into slow motion. And then a bright, sparkly scenery engulfed the place as if it represented the emotions of the two.

"Natsu!" Happy did the same thing and ran towards Natsu for their long awaited reunion.

"Happy!" he called out his name for a second time as the distance between them grew close.

"Natsu!" he shouted back, but this time the tune was quite different. It was more like a growl than a shout for joy. And Natsu never failed to notice it.

"Happy?" he was about to ask him, but he couldn't care less. As long as he can hug hi—

"MAX SPEED ATTACK!" Happy's head butt attack hit Natsu cleanly on the pit of his stomach.

Natsu rolled backwards until he came to a stop at a nearby wall.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy yelped as she tried to go where Natsu fell, but she was stopped by Charle.

"What are you doing Charle? Natsu-san needs my help!" she reasoned out but the white cat stood unfazed.

"Happy knows what he's doing. So just leave it up to him." Charle gave her a stern look which melted away Wendy's resolve to help Natsu.

"Okay. If that's what you want." she resigned herself and watched over the two.

Natsu slowly got up from the rubble and looked at Happy who was still standing a couple of feet away from him.

"Why did you do that Happy? Aren't you glad to see me?" he tried to get close to him but the glare he's been receiving from the blue cat made it hard to do so.

"Shut up! Why the hell would I be happy to see you?! You left me for a year remember?" Happy yelled back at him to his dismay. He tried to explain things over but he was interrupted.

"I don't ever want to talk or see you again!" Happy turned his back against him as he started walking away from Natsu. And then an idea flashed through Natsu's mind that made him crack a smile.

"Really? But I was going to give you a boatload of your favorite raw fish." he made sure his voice was loud enough for the blue feline to hear it.

"Fish?" Happy stopped.

"Yeah, fish. Raw fish." Natsu's grin grew wider.

"Kukuku…" Happy let out an evil laugh which surprised Natsu.

"Bribing me with fish, just like the old days." he slowly turned towards him.

"Dho you weally thwink you could bvuy me with that?!" his face was rather serious, but his mouth was watering with saliva to the point that he couldn't speak properly.

Wendy tried her best not to laugh while Charle was just plain annoyed.

"You're very easy to read, Happy." she sighed.

"Hahahahaha! I knew you'd fall for it!" he laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach.

"Shwut up! So what if I'm droolwing huh?!" he yelled back at him while his drool continued to pour down his mouth.

"Happy…" Natsu felt a loss for words.

"Dho you weally thwink some stuphid fwish is enough to make amwends?" his eyes fired with passion as he tried to make his point. (A\N: amwends = amends)

"That's right Happy! Go for it!" Wendy cheered.

"Even though your face says otherwise, I guess your just doing it your own way." Charle let out a small smile.

Natsu stared at Happy for a moment, as if pondering on something. Then…

"Uh…yes?" he finally answered. **THWACK.**

"NATSU NO BAKA!" Happy cried as he sent a flying punch towards Natsu.

"Happy!" Natsu tried to reach for him but failed as Happy flew away.

"I'm never talking to you again! Uwaaaa!" he cried some more as he flew away from his sight.

"Noooo!" Natsu sank to his knees. Wendy went beside him along with Charle to console him.

"Don't worry Natsu-san. Happy's always like that. But I'm pretty sure he's very happy to see you!" she put on her best smile in hopes of lifting Natsu's spirit up.

"What are you still doing sulking like that? Go after him now and apologize!" Charle commanded.

"But…I never thought that…" Natsu tried to stand up, teary eyed.

"Never thought what, Natsu-san?" the blue haired girl asked.

"That he didn't buy the fish. It always worked before." he answered as he touched his cheek where Happy's punch landed.

"E-eh?" Wendy can't even find the words to make a proper reply. Charle then flew and faced Natsu, and then grabbed his collar.

"Are you really that dense?! All he wanted was for you to apologize for leaving him like that!" she fumed, her words bringing Natsu to his senses.

"Really? So it's not about the fish?" he asked her once more just to be sure. The white cat was nearing her limits. She really can't handle these types well.

"Y-yes. So go find him and apologize from the bottom of your heart." her eyes twitched in amazement of Natsu's sheer idiocy.

"Yoshhai! Then I'll be going on ahead! See ya later guys!" he regained his second wind and waved at them as he ran but suddenly stopped.

He turned around and went towards them.

"Forgot something Natsu-san?" Wendy asked him curiously.

"Yeah. Umm Wendy, I think Erza's still back at the guild being treated. So if it's much of a bother could you fix her up for me?" he requested.

"Sure no problem! Err wait, what? Did Erza-san get into a fight with someone?" her carefree tone suddenly turned serious.

"Uh yeah. She got into a fight…with me." he grinned.

"I see. So that's why you're all beaten up. Wait, if you're here…then that means…by any chance did you, beat her?" Charle looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah, and I feel sorry for it. So will you please heal her, Wendy?" he asked apologetically. Charle stared at him wide-eyed.

"O-of course I will. Though I still can't believe you managed to win against Erza-san, Natsu-san." Wendy tried her best to calm herself after hearing the shocking truth.

"Hehe, me too. So I'll better be going now. Please take care of her Wendy!" he smiled as he started to walk away from them.

"Wait Natsu-san. I still have something to tell you!" the blue haired girl called him back.

"What is it Wendy?" he stopped as faced her again.

"Okarinasai Natsu-san!" she yelled back, making sure he heard every bit of it.

"Tadaima!" he grinned before running off.

Wendy sighed as the last bit of Natsu's silhouette disappeared from their sight. She looked at her feline companion who was still hasn't recovered from what she had heard.

"I still can't believe it too you know." Wendy finally struck a conversation which broke Charle's stupor.

"But you seem to have accepted it already. You sure have changed, Wendy." the exceed smiled at her.

"Mm, that's not it. It's because it's Natsu-san who did it. Somehow I think that if it was Natsu-san, he could do everything. Or something like that." she smiled back.

"Maybe you're right. Anyhow we have to hurry back to guild and treat Erza, Wendy." Charle flew and carried her human companion.

"Hey I can walk just fine!" Wendy protested but soon resigned as Charle continued to carry her towards the guild.

**To be continued.**

**I know…the chapter ended rather abruptly right?**

**Sorry…I know there's little romance, but what would you expect? They're in the middle of the field lol.**

**I can't just put romance in there…even if I wanted to. **

**Anyhows, I really hope you liked it guys.**

**Erza: It would've been better if the setting was in bed.**

**Me: Seriously?**

**Erza: Forget I ever said that.**

**Me: Or wh—Okay! I forget! You didn't say anything!**

**Comments and reviews please. Violent reactions are still accepted! You still can't hit me even if you wanted to haha! (okay I was just kidding please don't hit me!)**

**And oh…thanks to the people who followed me even though you didn't review. You guys are one of the reasons my heart skips a beat whenever I open my e-mail haha! **

**So um, in case I couldn't release it on time I'll just wish you an advance Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! =)**

**And be ready for a very long flashback next chapter hehe. **

**RenXRin signing out!**


	7. Natsu part 1

**Hello again guys!**

**I'm here again to bring you another chapter!**

**But before we begin I'll have to say thank you for your continued support guys.**

**Hmm…I finished this one quite early (lol?) but it ended up quite short sorry.**

**But I do hope the you'll enjoy it guys =P**

**Okay…let's go on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. /bow**

**Chapter 7 Natsu part 1**

The hours went by as the day drew to a close. Merrymaking ensued in the lively guild of Fairy Tail in celebration for Natsu's homecoming. Everyone was happy and lively as usual participating in the party, except for Natsu and Erza. She's currently resting at her place in Fairy Hills. Natsu on the other hand was at his house busy cleaning it and making up with Happy. Night came and silence swept over the whole city of Magnolia. Everyone at the guild slept soundly, being exhausted with the party and all. And somewhere near the outskirts of the city, a lone figure walked. His pace was slow, taking his time as he enjoyed the cool breeze brushing his face. He watched the houses he passed by, every store and lampposts, as if jotting everything in his memory. And then he came into a very familiar place. A place that meant so much to him; a place so full of memories.

"This place never changed, thank goodness." Natsu sat down on the parchment of grass on the side of the riverbank. He then lied down to get a better view of the star-filled sky.

"And the view from here is still pretty good too!" he grinned to no one in particular. And then he frowned.

"But damn, even though I apologized, Happy was still mad at me. *sigh* If it weren't for the fish I gave him maybe he'd still be mad at me though. So I guess I was right after all. It was just the fish." he finally smiled at the end. And then he fell silent.

'_How long has it been, since I felt like this for her. Hmm, about 11 years maybe? Oh wait; we were stuck in Tenroujima for 7 years, so that makes it 17 years. Wow, I never thought it's been that long already!' _his eyes widened at the sudden realization.

'_And yet, she doesn't even have the slightest idea about how I feel for her, and maybe she never will. She has Jellal after all. And it seemed like she's doing fine, except for the fact that I made her worry so much for leaving without knowing her. Great job doing that Natsu.'_ he sighed as he covered his eyes with his hand.

'_But still, being near her…it's just amazing. Her voice, like when we were talking earlier, it drowns out all the sound except for hers. Her eyes, her flowing red hair, everything is just simply…perfect.' _he cracked up a smile.

'_And her smile…it's so captivating that I find it hard not to stare at her. She should look at herself at the mirror when she does that because then she would know that smiling suits her so much!'_ he then realized that he was clenching his fist skyward. He sighed and looked up at the skies again.

'_Yes, it does. That's why Erza, you should always keep smiling. Because that crying face of yours…'_

…

…

…

'…_really doesn't fit you.'_

**Flashback- 18 (technically) years ago in the City of Magnolia **

"Kuso! Kuso! Damn you Erza!" a seven year old Natsu yelled as he delivered a punch towards a piece of paper with a scribbled face of his self proclaimed rival pinned against the tree.

"Damn you also, you perverted Gray!" he struck another punch towards another piece of paper with Gray's face on it pinned beside the other one.

"I'm going to beat the hell out of you two!" he continued his barrage of punches until he was exhausted.

Natsu sat down after his 'self-motivation' training, panting heavily.

"But still…how the hell can I beat the crap out of that monster?" he said between breaths.

Apparently, ever since Natsu became a member of Fairy Tail, he's been constantly at war with the ice mage Gray. And since it was Erza that quelled their fights by beating both of them, it was a matter of fact that Erza needs to go down too. And he wants to do it personally. But since Erza was just too much of an opponent for him, all his efforts proved futile. And thus the reason he was punching her scribbled face on the tree. Because he was letting out some steam of frustration. And the reason why he needs a whole new plan to bring down the 'monster'.

"Even if Gray and I worked together, we still can't beat her. She's just too strong!" he punched the ground in annoyance.

"Even so she's still just a year older than us so I'm pretty sure I can beat her!" he stood up again, his emotions fueling his body.

"Yosh! I'm gonna train so hard today and tomorrow I'll beat the crap out of her! And then Gray will be next! Then Mirajane too hahaha! I'll be the strongest mage ever in Fairy Tail!" he laughed maniacally as he resumed his training.

…

…

…

"Yo, you never give up do you?" Gray managed to sit up, even with his injuries.

"Sh-shut up…" Natsu replied meekly. They were yet again, beaten to a pulp by Erza.

"How long do you plan on fighting her…I already told you that you can't beat her." he stood up shakily.

"How the hell…can you say that…after you got your ass handed down to you by her!?" Natsu said between breaths as he sat down.

"Don't you have any plans on getting even with her huh? Tch, you're much more of a coward than I thought you were." he refused to look at him in annoyance.

"What did you say, flame brain?!" he limped towards him.

"What, you up for round two?" Natsu stood up and taunted Gray, but he was too tired to hold out his hands so he just remained standing.

"Yeah whatever. Seeing as it is, you can't even throw a decent punch at me." he smirked back, causing Natsu to get pissed off.

"I'll make you eat your words, perverted popsicle!" he tried to make a jump at him but due to exhaustion he stumbled before even reaching Gray.

"See, I already told you that you can't land a hit. You better go home and fix yourself up. You can fight me tomorrow, anytime you want." the little ice mage started to walk away, leaving Natsu to his thoughts.

"Shut up, I'll beat all of you one day." he spoke to no one in particular.

That night Natsu walked or rather, limped back home. His whole face was swollen and he has bruises all over his small body. But since he lived alone, he had to take care of himself. Not that he's not used it, since it was always that way since his father, Igneel, left him. He sat up all night, still thinking of a way to beat that red haired monster.

"Ah crap, I can't think of anything! How the hell is she stronger than me?! I'm a dragonslayer for crying out loud. I'm supposed to be way stronger than normal people!" he grunted as his head ached while trying to find a way to beat Erza.

"Maybe she's a real monster after all. There's no way someone like her could be normal." he stopped thinking as his mind slowly drifted to sleep.

"But then again, how did she become like that in the first place? If only I knew…her secret." his eyes finally closed, but suddenly opened wide as he realized something.

"Se-secret?! That's it!" he shot up from his bed. And then his face formed an evil smile as he finally thought of an idea to finally bring down his foe.

"Tomorrow…I'm going to finally beat you Erza! Hahahaha!" then he laughed himself to sleep.

…

…

…

"What the hell are you doing, Natsu?" an irritated Erza finally spoke. She was going to crack his head open if not for the reason that Natsu was in bandages when he came and that she's currently eating breakfast.

"Nothing, don't mind me." Natsu continued to circle around her, while sniffing her.

"How in the world could she not mind you idiot? You're basically making her feel awkward." Gray, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, finally had enough of Natsu's actions.

"Will you just shut up? Alright I'm done!" he smirked as he finally stood away from her, to Erza's relief.

"Okay, now will you tell me the reason why you did that?" she looked at him sternly.

"Nope. Sorry, but I can't tell you. See ya!" he cackled as a vein popped on Erza's head.

She was about to lunge at him but Natsu was gone before she even made her move. She sat down; obviously irritated that Natsu had his way with her.

"I'll break his jaw the next time I'll see him." she grunted as she continued to chomp down her food. Gray silently sat opposite of her, sweat trickling at his backside.

'_Dammit Natsu, you just had to piss her off early in the morning!'_ he thought as he looked at his companion with a deadly aura surrounding her.

Natsu on the other hand went out of the guild and hid in the bushes just outside it. He then takes his plan into action.

"Now all I have to do is to wait here for that monster to get out." he laughed to himself.

'_And then I'll follow her wherever she goes, until I find out her secret! Damn, I'm a genius!'_ he silently complimented himself.

'_I just know it. This plan is so going to work, haha! After this I'll have you, the almighty Erza, begging down on me for forgiveness!'_ he tried his best not to laugh so it wouldn't give his hiding spot away to whoever was watching.

And then, the moment he's been waiting for came up. Erza walked out of the guild. Natsu could see the grumpy look on her face as she stomped her way towards the city. Apparently, she was still pissed at him.

'_Alright Natsu, let's do this. But we have to make sure she won't us or else we'll be mince meat.' _he talked to himself as sweat trickled down his face.

Natsu continued to follow Erza, but made sure he was at a distance where she couldn't notice him. His uncanny sense of smell made this feat possible. But time passed and he noticed that Erza was just walking all over the city. He feared that she may have noticed him and was only doing that just to lure or tire him out. But his doubts disappeared as Erza oddly went towards the outskirts of the city. He followed her, his thoughts filled with excitement as he was going to finally know her secret. He quickly but carefully followed her scent until it finally came to a stop. He looked for a good place to hide where he can get a full view of his target and waited.

'_A riverbank? There's nothing out of the ordinary here. Is this the place where she trains herself?' _he silently watched as questions continued to pop up in his head. Time passed by and it was already late in the afternoon. The sky was setting, giving the riverbank a perfect shade of red. And Natsu was getting impatient.

'_She's just sitting there all day. What the hell? Is this what you've been doing while I'm training my ass out everyday?'_ he was getting pissed off at the mere thought of that.

'_How in the world can she even beat me and still get this much free time! I can't accept this.'_ he clenched his teeth.

'_Or is it just because you're just too strong that you don't need to train anymore, huh Erza? Is that it? You…you're really pissing me off!'_ he fought to urge to lunge at her as he continued to bore his sights on her.

But Erza is still not moving. She continued to sit there as Natsu completely lost the will to hold back. He slowly walked towards her from behind.

"Oi Er—" his words stopped coming out as the wind brushed past them, blowing Erza's bangs away, completely revealing her crying face.

'_Wh-what the—' _ his brain momentarily seized functioning as he stood still in his place. His thoughts rapidly went back as Erza's head turned towards him.

'_That was close.' _he breathed hard as he leaned on the wall. He somehow managed to hide before Erza could notice him. Natsu started to walk away as he decided not to pry on her anymore.

'_But still, why was she crying? Wait a minute. Was she crying the whole time back there?'_ he thought hard as he went home.

That night Natsu couldn't eat well. The thought of that crying person he acknowledged as a monster still lingered in his mind. And somehow the thought of her crying face made his heart cringe a bit.

'_I don't get it. I really don't get it. She's one of the strongest people I've known. No wait, she's not a person; she's a monster. She beats me and Gray everyday, just for the heck of it. So why…why was she crying her eyes out like that? Did someone hurt her?'_ he thought hard as he unknowingly clenched his fist.

'_But her face…it's…so pretty.'_ his eyes went wide at the thought.

'_What? Why did I think of that?! There must be something wrong with me! There's nothing pretty about that monster! Stop it Natsu, you're losing yourself!' _he shook his head to clear his thoughts but somehow noticed that his cheeks were somewhat getting warmer. He lied down on his bed as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

'_That's right; she's a monster. A monster that beats the hell out of people. Out of me and Gray.' _

'_Yes, she is a monster. But she's also…a girl.'_

…

…

…

"Is there something on my face, Natsu?" Erza tried to ask politely, but her voice betrayed irritation.

"No. Nothing at all, Erza." came his short reply.

"I see." she slowly put down her fork and looked at him.

"Then why the hell are you staring at me?!" she visibly tried to hide her flustered face while trying to control her temper.

"Hmm, it's nothing." Natsu diverted his attention back to his food, to Erza's relief.

"Yesterday you're sniffing her; and today you're staring at her. What are you going to do tomorrow? Wait let me guess. You're going to lick her?" Gray chuckled as he ate his breakfast.

"This has nothing to do with you, so mind your own business, popsicle." Natsu shot a glare back at the ice mage.

"I know. But it doesn't mean I can't screw with you right?" Gray's smirk grew even wider.

"If you want to get beaten up that much, then let's cut to the chase and bring it on, you pants bastard." the little dragonslayer stomped his hands on the table, completely forgetting the fact that Erza's just sitting beside him.

Gray immediately stood up and put his foot on the bench signaling Natsu that he took on his challenge. Natsu also stood up and mimicked Gray's actions. A second passed and then they lunged at each other. The next thing that happened came so swiftly that all the other guildmates could do was gulp on their seats.

"That felt quite good." Erza smiled as she walked outside the guild, leaving a broken table, a half-dead Natsu and a beaten up Gray in her wake.

"Natsu you bastard, this is all your fault!" Gray slowly stood up.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't pissed me off, pervert." he smirked back at him, his swollen cheeks clearly visible on his face.

They both stood there for a moment until Natsu started to walk outside the guild in silence. Gray only shrugged it off and went to find another table to eat.

"I guess she's back to normal." Natsu smiled to no one in particular.

'_But I better look for her, just in case.' _he started to dart off towards Erza's scent.

It didn't take long for Natsu to find her. She's still at the place where she found her yesterday. He thought hard as he kept looking at her from a distance. Finally realizing that she wouldn't budge there anytime soon, Natsu started to walk away.

'_You're still crying…Erza. Why?' _the words kept ringing inside his head as his face turned into a frown.

Natsu took the liberty to follow Erza some more as the days went by, only to find her sitting on the same spot at the riverbank, day after day. He wanted to approach her, but found it hard to do so. So he remained hidden, just enough for him to see her, far enough to watch over her. As the days passed however, Natsu felt that he couldn't take it anymore and decided that he'd approach her this time, if she ever goes to that place again. But the thought of it made him sit right up on his bed.

'_W-what the?' _ he tried to calm himself down.

'_My head…feels so hot. And my heart…why did it beat so fast just now?'_ he asked himself.

'_I don't get it. I was only thinking of approaching her—wha?' _ he stopped thinking as he felt his head get hotter the moment he thought of her.

'_W-why the hell am I getting nervous like this?! I'm only going to ask her what's wrong, that's all!'_ he tried to reason with himself, while trying to calm down the rapid beating in his chest.

'_Ah crap! I don't have time to be thinking about this!'_ he grunted as he lied down on his bed and closed his eyes.

…

'_I can't sleep.'_

…

…

…

Natsu didn't come to the guild the next day. Instead, he went directly to the hiding spot for waiting Erza to come. Hours went by, but surely enough, she came. He waited a few more minutes before he finally decided to approach her. He felt his cheeks warming up again but shrugged it off. He didn't have time to attend to trivial matters now. He mentally prepared himself. As he reassured himself he finally stood up and started walking towards her only to stop a few feet from her. He saw another person nearing Erza; a person he knew rather well.

"As I thought, you're here again, Erza." Gray spoke out flatly.

As if sensing someone watching him, his head involuntarily snapped to where Natsu was.

"Hmm, must be my imagination." his attention went towards Erza who was now looking at him.

Though he was near enough to be noticed, he was still far enough to hear what they're talking. But Natsu could care less about that now.

'_What's Gray doing here? Did he know about Erza all along?' _more questions kept popping out of his head and he's somehow very irritated about it.

He looked back at Erza only to see Gray already sitting beside her. His body shook as he clenched his teeth so hard it could almost crack. But remembering how close he was to them, he tried to calm himself down. He wanted to walk away but a part of him told him to stay. So he stayed. And he watched. Unknowing of the fact that his innocent little heart is breaking into pieces.

Natsu wanted to stay and watch for a while longer, but the thought of seeing Gray and Erza together made him waver. He slowly walked home that day, his head filled with questions without any answers or ways to find them. For the next two days he did not come back to the guild. And then the day after, he went; he looked for Gray and picked up fight with him. Of course the fight immediately ended, thanks to Erza. Natsu woke up before Gray, his body still tingling with pain. The ice mage woke soon after and stood up groggily.

"Well, that's unusual." he looked at Natsu, who was deep in thought, in amazement.

Natsu simply ignored him and continued to delve in his own thoughts. Gray, who somewhat felt shocked by his silence, finally left him alone. Natsu then felt another presence behind him. He looked up and his eyes met hers.

"W-what is it Erza?" he stammered, his cheeks warming up again.

Erza kept staring at him, her face void of emotions.

"Natsu…you stink." she calmly said, without any hint of annoyance. Natsu's eyes went wide.

"Wha-" his voice was cut off as Erza suddenly tugged his scarf, dragging him in the process.

"What the hell are you doing Erza?" he looked at her as he struggled to get free. Erza only looked back at him with that poker face of hers.

"I'm taking a bath. And you're coming with me." she answered flatly.

The other guildmates who heard her stared at them with their mouths wide open, including Natsu.

"What? NO!" he valiantly refused but as his scarf started to choke his life out, his efforts proved futile.

It's going to be alright. Gray's coming too." she continued as she headed for the door.

"What? Why the hell would I want to – " Gray couldn't continue what he said as he was swiftly clobbered in the face, by Erza.

"Geez. What's so bad about taking a bath anyway?" she questioned them as she dragged them outside the guild.

'_I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but the thought of doing it with her is so…embarrassing. But still, my scarf is getting tighter around my neck, it's getting hard to — ugh, … breathe.' _Natsu's vision turned dark as he finally lost consciousness.

…

…

…

"So this is what you meant, huh?" Natsu calmly said as a drop of water trickled down his face. He looked over at Gray who was still unconscious at the other side of the tub.

"Huh? Oh, well of course I'm not going to take a bath with you. That would be embarrassing." the little knight answered, her cheeks slightly matching the color of her hair.

She stood behind Natsu; still on her clothes and was rubbing his hair with shampoo. She continued to shampoo his hair as an awkward silence enveloped them. Natsu felt uncomfortable and wanted to break the silence but Erza beat him to it.

"Do you have something to tell me, Natsu?" she asked calmly.

"What made you say that Erza?" he tried to give a proper reply while hiding his nervousness.

'_She's…so damn close!' _he tried to calm himself as thoughts rapidly filled his head.

"Well, it's just that you've been acting strange these past few days, especially about the sniffing part." Natsu wasn't looking at her but he was sure that Erza's staring at him.

"R-really? I don't think that I'm being strange in any way." he replied, his voice trembling. Even for him it was clear that Erza didn't buy it.

It took a few moments and some of Natsu's sanity before Erza replied.

"Is it because of your father? I remember Master telling me that he was a dragon or something." Natsu was surprised at Erza's reply but since it was a chance to change the topic, he went with the flow.

"You mean Igneel? He's not just a dragon; he's a dragon of all dragons!" he boasted, with a big grin on his face.

"I see. Is he strong?" she asked once more.

"Of course! And I want to become strong like him too." his smile grew even wider.

"He's tough and kind. He taught me everything including dragonslayer magic. He's the best." his grin disappeared, replaced by a solemn smile.

"I…want to see him soon." his voice was laced with sadness as he reminisced the past.

"Must be nice." Erza spoke as he continued rubbing Natsu's head.

"Erza?" he wanted to look up at her but the shampoo made it impossible to do so.

"Having parents that is." Natsu felt her hands stop moving.

A sudden silence enveloped them as he waited for Erza to talk.

"What were they like? Your parents I mean." he finally broke the silence and felt Erza cringe.

"I…don't have any." he could feel her hands trembling.

"What?" Natsu did not understand what she meant.

"I…was an orphan you see. So I…don't have any." his eyes went wide as he finally realized the words she said.

'_I see. Wait a minute! So that means —'_

"All this time, were you…always by yourself?" he asked one more time, only to receive a knuckle to the head.

"Ow! What did you do that for?!" he yelped as he rigidly rubbed the back of his head.

"You weren't supposed to know that!" Erza washed the shampoo of Natsu's hair.

"Or rather, I shouldn't have told you that." Natsu could feel her hand, resting on his head.

She sighed and stroked his hair gently.

"No, I wasn't." she stopped, catching her breath. "I'm not by myself anymore, am I?" she picked up the dipper and rinsed his hair once more.

"I have Master, Gray and the other Fairy Tail members…and you. I have you as my friends. No, more like family." his heart skipped a beat at the last part.

Natsu could sense the warmth of her voice filling the whole room as she spoke. He finally understood it now. The one thing he could do for her.

"Yeah, we are family." he smiled as he finally looked up to see her face.

"Erza…are you happy now?" he grinned back at her, to which she warmly replied.

"Yeah, I am." a beautiful smile formed from her lips.

They stared at each other for a moment and then, as if on cue, they shared their very first laughs together.

Natsu stood up and dried himself with the towel that Erza gave. He went outside the bathroom but before he did so, he looked back at her.

"What is it?" Erza looked back at him, waiting for a reply.

"You know…you should smile always, Erza. You really look pretty when you do."

The words flew out of his mouth before he even had the chance to think about it.

"W-what?" Natsu could see her eyes grow wide.

"I-it's nothing! Forget I said anything! I-uh, gotta go now. I'll wait for you outside. Bye!" he frantically said as he went out of the bathroom.

'_What in the world did I just say? To her of all people?! To think that she's —' _he stopped and looked back at the bathroom.

'_No, she is…really pretty.' _he must've found the floor interesting as he suddenly found himself staring at it.

He felt his cheeks warming up again.

And then…Natsu remembered something important.

'_Where's Gray?'_ he looked back at the bathroom, and then his face went pale.

"**KYAAA!"** a very girlish scream resounded followed by cracking sound made by the door being blown into pieces. Pieces of wood blew past him, along with something that resembled a person.

'_A person?'_ he looked back and saw Gray, half-naked, sticking on the wall.

He then felt something behind him that made him shiver all over. The whole place was silent, aside from the huffing sound that "something" made, its mere presence made the whole room reek with murderous intent. He looked at Gray who was slowly falling off from the wall, as the presence grew more ominous. He knew he shouldn't be doing it, but he just had to see it for himself. He turned around and saw Erza by the bathroom entrance, with only a towel covering her whole body. She looked at him, her face as red as her hair. Natsu felt his life getting sucked out of his body the moment he saw her glare.

"You…did not…see anything. Got it?" she said between breaths. Natsu could only nod an answer.

"W-what happened? My head hurts…" Gray whimpered as he fell unconscious, yet again.

Natsu left Erza's house that afternoon but left Gray in her care. She said she had to take responsibility since she was the one who beat the life out of him.

That surprise or rather, forced visit to Erza's house reassured Natsu of one thing: Erza is one hell of a scary person.

'_But even though she's scary; it can't change the fact that she can be a pretty girly sometimes.' _he smiled at the thought.

Natsu slept soundly that night; his worries a thing from the past. He woke up early the next day and immediately went to his training ground for his daily training exercise. He finally lied down after the training, and went silent, with a big grin plastered on his face.

'_I might not know the reason why you're crying…and I may never will…'_

'_I don't know if I can make you happy or not…but there's one thing I can be sure of…'_

'_I can piss you off everyday. I'll challenge you to a duel every time I see you…'_

'_I'll do everything to make you spend all of your time…so you won't have anything left when you decide to waste it by sitting on that riverbank._

'_I'll make you forget that place…'_

'_I'll make sure you won't cry anymore.'_

…

…

He stood up and started to walk towards the guild.

'_I really don't know why, but when you said I'm part of your family…I felt so happy.'_

'_There's that feeling again. But somehow it doesn't feel so bad anymore. I really don't get it either, but maybe someday I'll do.'_

'_And when that day comes, maybe I can share it with you.'_

'_After all we are family, right?'_

'_I'll always be there for you so please…stop crying anymore.'_

…

…

'_Erza I…'_

…

…

_I…_

…

…_failed._

…

"**Simon!"**

…

**To be continued.**

**Hope you liked it guys.**

**Renxrin signing out !**


	8. Natsu Part 2

**Yosshaiii! I finally got to update! Ah crap! Sorry it took so long guys. I was very busy with work that I haven't had time to think about it, much less write it T_T. And the chapter this time is pretty short…again! *slaps self***

**I could only hope that you'll be more patient with me as I finish this story =) It's really great to know that there are people who like the works you've created. Any writer would no doubt say that. Thank you very much guys! **

**Anyways, let's continue with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail…btw they're ending the anime this March 30, 2013…and it saddens me so that they have to do it. I do hope they'll continue it though like what Tite Kubo did with Bleach. =)**

**Chapter 8**

**Natsu Part 2**

Natsu's POV

"I won't make you cry again."

Those words kept ringing in my head. That was the oath I took back when I was a kid. Ever since that day I did everything to make her forget that place. Surely enough, as the days passed the times she spent on that riverbank dwindled until she completely stopped going to that place. Of course along with that improvement came the bruises and broken bones from the injuries I took for constantly pissing her off. But seeing her smile everyday even though it was from the enjoyment of seeing me bruised up and swelling because of enraging her, I had no regrets. It was definitely worth it. Don't misunderstand me though; I'm not a masochist or anything. I just think, from my own opinion, that it was better this way.

Years passed and we continued to grow. Erza became one of the youngest mages that received an S-rank. And I, well, I still ended up getting my butt kicked every time I challenged her. Somehow I noticed that as she got older, she also got scarier, but I don't mind. I'd rather see her getting pissed than see it crying. And it's very easy to do too. I didn't know when it began but I've found out that somehow Erza has this craving for strawberry cakes or any cake for that matter (I think the first one I ate was a strawberry flavored one, so I kind of remembered that one quite vividly). Once I knew that, it was very easy to push her, the wrong way.

Fairy Tail also continued to grow in number as new members signed up. But old and new ones alike, they all admired her. Dubbed as the Fairy Queen herself, her love and compassion for the guild and its members knows no bounds. She was a person like no other and I continued to admire her like they did. I continued to look up to her and that strange feeling I had for her back when I was a kid only intensified as the years passed. And one more thing; she became prettier as the days went by. I'm emphasizing the word "pretty" here. Her red silky hair grew and was no longer tied to a ponytail; and it became a distinctive feature of hers. Seeing her walk inside the guild with that red flowing hair of hers made it hard for me to not stare. But of course I'm not letting her know that. She changed a lot, for the better. It's really hard for me to even think that this was the same Erza that I knew back then. That timid, lonesome girl that only knew how to beat the crap out of me and Gray was already a thing of the past. The days that I saw her crying on that riverbank seemed like a dream to me that was already long forgotten. And what's more is that she asked me to team up with her! Just how cool is that? Now I'll get to see her and go with her every time she goes on a — oh wait, Gray's coming too. That perverted bastard just had to tag along. And Lucy too, a rather cheerful, new member of the guild, and Happy, my best friend, a flying cat. All in all, we're a team of five, and I hate to say it, but even with Gray around, we still kick ass.

To say that I was happy was an understatement. I know just how capable she is and I know that she can very well protect herself, but I can't shake off the feeling that something bad might happen every time she goes on a mission by herself, and I can't ask her to take me with her too. So I was really happy. Happy that she asked me to join her. Happy that I get to watch over her again. That I get to help her whenever she needs it. I was so happy that she…needed me. That's why I can't let her down. I have to support her in any way I can and protect her from any harm, though I doubt it would be necessary.

Hmm…protecting someone stronger than me? Yeah right. I guess this is the part where Gray would say 'dream on!' or something like that. But still…still…I want to protect her. I really don't get it but, seeing Erza getting hurt is something I can't stand to think. That's why I have to be stronger. Stronger than anyone else, stronger than her. And when the day comes that I'll finally surpass her I'll…say it. The words that I've wanted to say ever since I was a kid. I'll say it all to her. Until then, I'll continue to watch over her from where I stand; behind her.

…

…

Thinking about it now, even at this point… I regret the fact that I was still weaker than her.

***Tower of Heaven Incident***

"You have nothing to fear. I will protect you."

She said it. The words that I definitely don't want to hear from her. I…don't want to be protected by her. I don't want to be saved by her. And yet here I am, being shielded by her from the very person I tried to save her from. I felt pathetic at the situation I'm in, but it's not like I didn't do my best. I gave it my all, but this guy in front of me is just too strong. Considered as one of the Ten Wizard Saints, this deranged lunatic did not only have the guts but also the skills to kidnap Erza and use her body as a vessel for the Black Wizard Zeref. And now here we are, in front of a massive ball of magic homing in towards us like a cannonball. There was nothing I could do, but watch her back as it shielded me from the imminent blast.

Watch as she…protected me.

I couldn't do any—

…

Simon. That guy…he –

A loud shriek echoed through that very tower; and shook my bones to the core. Erza…she…cried.

Again…

…

…

I tried to gather my thoughts, but it was no use. That was when I finally realized what had happened. Simon blocked that attacked head-on…and died. Then my mind, snapped.

That could've been her. It could've been…the one who died back there…

Erza.

…I felt my fist hitting something. It was Jellal's face. I could very well see how he twirled slowly towards that lacrima wall. And then I suddenly felt something new and at the same time, nostalgic. I don't quite understand it but somehow I kind of have mixed thoughts with it. What was it? Oh…it was —

**PURE RAGE.**

As if on instinct I found myself eating that blue rock. It tasted like crap. But then it melted inside me and gave me the power boost I needed. For the first time I felt…invincible. I clashed with him again, this time with me gaining the upper hand. My body surged with power and it was more than enough to thrash him down. I defeated Jellal and made a mess of his Tower of Heaven. After that my view darkened when I fell unconscious, but not before seeing Erza's face as she looked at me in amazement. Seeing her tears had dried up, a smile in place of that sorrowful face before, it was more than I could ask for. I could still feel how warm her body was as she embraced me when I fell down. For the first time I thought…_'I finally…saved her.'_

…

…yet fate has a knack of letting us be optimistic, before showing us the horrible truth.

…

I woke up only to find myself slightly dizzy and the ground shaking all over me. And Erza was on the other side, half her body inside the lacrima. She explained the situation to me quite thoroughly. Though I understood that just fine, I can't believe she just said it with a straight face. She was being reckless, again. I wanted to stop her but my body doesn't have the strength to even stand up. I could only limp towards her, tumbling as I did so. I wanted to pull her out, but as I looked up to her, she smiled. It was so beautiful and serene that I can't help but stare. It was that very same smile she wore that day when we took a bath together back when we were still kids.

And then, the very feelings I have for my friends, for the guild, for her…they all came out from her mouth.

…

"I couldn't have lived without Fairy Tail. A world without my friends is unthinkable."

…

Erza was going to die for us. She was willing to lay down her life for us without any hesitation.

Why? Wait a minute…was it –

…my fault?

Yes it was. That was what my mind had concluded. I fought and beat Jellal, but in process I also damaged the lacrima tower, which has put Erza in this situation now.

I wanted to save her. But in the end, I was the one that made her give up her life.

She completely submerged herself in the lacrima. I yelled at her to come back, but my cries fell on deaf ears. And then…a second later, the whole place lit up.

_Am I…going to lose her?_

…

…

**NO FREAKING WAY.**

...

…

I…didn't know what happened. All I wanted to do was…to reach out and catch her hand. And somehow I…caught her.

After the explosion we were thrown off towards the beach, to which I swam ashore. I could smell Lucy and everyone else as they neared me; even their voices were loud enough for me to hear them from afar. I guess that's what woke her up. I looked at her intently, as she tried to regain her composure. By the time she noticed that I carried her, she looked at me. I tried to look away as I put up a brave front. I was…pissed off at what she did. I wanted to reprimand her…to scold her and maybe give her a knuckle on the head. But in the end all I could do was tell her that we felt the same. I made her promise not to do that ever again.

By that time, I was at my limit. I couldn't stop it anymore.

I don't want to look weak. Not in front of her. But somehow, I just can't stop…my tears from falling. My whole body…it won't stop shaking. I've never been so afraid my whole life. I was so afraid that I won't see her anymore; so afraid that I've lost her forever; so afraid…that I couldn't help myself but break down in front of her. I felt so pathetic. Because I was weak, Simon died protecting us. Because I was weak, she almost died saving me. In the end, it was me who was protected. In the end, it was her who saved everyone.

I felt something warm touch my cheek. It was her hand, and it felt soft and warm as it gently rubbed my cheek – she was trembling…yet I somehow knew it wasn't out of fear. Then I felt her head nearing mine...and thought…or maybe I hoped…

'_Was she going to kiss me?' _ something utterly impossible.

Her forehead touched mine. And though it was very faint, it resounded clearly in my head – she said

"Thank you, Natsu."

That was more than enough – is what I told myself. There's no more need to worry because I know now, with Erza this close to me, and with my friends running towards us – Erza will not be going anywhere anymore. As adrenaline left my body, the pain it accumulated from my previous battles and from eating Etherion came back full force. My mind went blank as I fell unconscious.

I fell asleep for three days straight. That is what Lucy and the others told me – though they kind of added that I was sleep talking too. I was kind of worried about that fact, because well, maybe I said something inappropriate. But they said it was of no importance. Thank goodness, I guess.

Thinking back about what happened made me realize one thing. I never thought I could feel afraid like that. The thought of losing her is just so unbearable that I couldn't even think of that happening. These feelings of fear, of uneasiness, of a pain I couldn't reach – I don't like all of it. The feeling of insecurity that whenever I lose sight of her, I might never see her again…pains me so much. I…want to hold her tight and never let go of her. I want to treasure her…I want to always make her happy and not see her cry…I want to…

Wait, I wanted to?

Yes, I do. Was there ever a need to question that in the first place? Yes. Because of that…now…everything already makes sense. That pissed sensation I felt when I saw Gray sit next to her on that riverbank, that moment of happiness I felt when I saw her smile back at me the first time we took a bath together, the frustration I felt when I couldn't be of much help to her, the anger that erupted in me when Jellal made her cry and the fear that shook my very core when I thought I had lost her…

All those memories…all those feelings…it was all because…

_I love her_. Erza Scarlet. That girl I saw crying on that riverbank and the woman standing before my very eyes. I had loved her then and until now.

I love her…and yet…I still couldn't reach her. I wanted to do everything for her, so she would at least, look at me the way I look at her. But Erza could only see me like family, like a little brother, clumsily craving for her attention. It's how she treats everyone at the guild – equally. And I couldn't hate her for that. After everything that happened, I for a fact knew that I still am not strong enough to stand by her side. As of now, I don't even have the right to express my feelings towards her.

Until then…until I become someone worthy of standing by her side, I'll watch over her from afar.

I'll watch over her, because it's the only thing I could do.

Yes…the only thing I could do for her is…

Natsu POV END

**FLASHBACK END**

"…watch." Natsu raised his hand and slowly balled it into a fist.

'_That was the only thing I could do…until now.'_ his lips formed a small smile.

Yes. Now is different. He beat Erza, on a one on one match, fair and square.

'_Though I wouldn't really call that fair, since I said some things that made her lose focus.' _he sighed and his cheeks started to turn beet red as memories of the events that unfolded from their fight came back.

He mentally slapped himself and stood up.

"Heck! Who cares about the details! I beat Erza dammit! That's reason enough to celebrate!" he looked towards the riverbank with a satisfied grin on his face. But it didn't take long for that grin to quickly fade away; replaced with that solemn expression he wore before.

'_I beat her…so what? It's not like I can tell her everything now that I've done what I wanted to do for so long. Even though I made a promise to myself that I'd confess to her, there's just…no way I could do that…now.'_ he sat down again.

"I'm pretty sure Erza's happy with him. Well, even if they're far apart, I'm pretty sure they can find ways of meeting with each other…yep, that's right." he tried to let out a smile, yet he found it hard to do so.

'_There was really nothing I could do. Before she even knew Fairy Tail…before I even got to know her…she already had Jellal. Their meeting was something I couldn't change. It was simply fate that bound them together and I am in no position to break that bond. And besides that, Erza…loved Jellal from the bottom of her heart.'_ his teeth clenched as he was reminded of the painful truth.

'_I didn't saw it that time at the tower, but her feelings were in broad daylight as I watched her beside him after the collapse of Nirvana. The way she looked at him when they talked and the painful expression on her face when there was nothing she could do but watch as he was taken away by those rune knights…I knew it by then that she did love him. I knew because…the way she looks at him is the very same face I make when I look at her.'_ his view turned into a blur as his eyes went somewhat moist as he kept staring at the ground.

'_I couldn't even…pat her back and say everything's alright as she cried her heart out on that cliff. There was really nothing I could do, but watch.' _he tried to prevent himself from shaking even more.

"The hell…was I ever this pathetic? I feel like laughing to myself, hehe." he grinned more, as if trying to put up a mask to cover his emotions.

"I couldn't even – " his voice was cut off as he picked up a familiar scent nearing him.

It was a smell he knew too well for he made sure it was ingrained in his head a long time ago. The scent grew stronger as that person went nearer to where he was. He frantically tried to calm himself down as he waited; he was pretty sure that the person also noticed his presence as well so there was no need to hide. And so he sat and waited. He then heard small footsteps. He could hear them nearing him now. And then, it stopped – right behind him. Natsu can't help but let out a smile.

"What are you doing here Natsu?" she spoke.

"I should be the one asking you that," he turned towards her, and then black meets hazel.

"Erza."

**To Be Continued**

**Sir Lythi really influenced me on this one…that one work of his always puts me on the edge every damn chapter. And even though he never updated that story for almost 5 years *sighs*, I'm still grateful for that work of art. Kudos to you Sir!**

**Questions? Suggestions? Reviews? Criticisms and Violent Outbursts? You're welcome to do so! It would really help in making me improve on my writing =)**

**Well that's that. See you next chapter guys!**

**RenXRin signing out. =p**


	9. Idiot

**Okay, this was a lot shorter than I have imagined…and much longer to post up. If you've thought of that then don't worry, I did too. I apologize for updating this slowly – that was an understatement. Work has been hell and I'm the type of person who easily gets distracted. During that span of more than nine months I was working, finished anime series, played Diablo 3 with my bestfriend and online turn based games, reading manga and temporarily lost my notes too, well, sort of misplaced it is the right word for it. I did find it again after sometime and managed to continue writing it. The problem is I don't know where to cut it into chapters. The result is well, this – a very short one. Don't worry. I'll be posting the next chapter by next week after making some finishing touches to the next chapter - it's already done actually :). **

**So, after nine months, without further ado, let's go on with the story, shall we?**

**Chapter 9: Idiot**

"I can't sleep…" Erza cringed in pain as she changed her body position for the fifteenth time in her bed. She just came back from the guild and her body feels like its tearing itself apart.

'_It looks like I'm far more injured than I thought. I should have taken Wendy's help after all.'_ she looked at the window beside her. The moon is only half full, yet it somehow caught her attention.

With a sigh, she rolled over to the side of her bed, grunting in pain as she did so.

"Ow! Crap…" she slowly sat up and shot a quick glance at her surroundings. Her room was indeed very spacious – full of armors and weapons.

'_I'm going nowhere with this. There's no way I can sleep when I can't even relax myself!'_ a look of irritation was visible on her face coupled with the reddening of her cheeks. She then breathed out another sigh as she let herself fall down to bed.

"Ouch…Natsu…you idiot." her face just went redder.

It only took a couple of moments before she was out of the dormitory. She took a step outside and instantly felt the cold breeze as it made contact with her body. She opened the gate and continued walking down the path towards the city in her pajamas. The cold that wrapped around her body felt good so she didn't bother requipping into her armor.

"Umu. As I thought, this is definitely better than having to lie down in my bed." she nodded to herself in agreement.

Erza walked on a slower pace this time as she wanted to feel every sensation the night is giving her.

'_My body still aches but not that much anymore. I should really do this a lot more often.'_ she smiled to herself as she continued walking.

The road is quite dark, but still visible because of the lampposts scattered around the city. She took a peek at the guild and saw that the lights were out.

'_They're probably sleeping by now too. Even those guys would have to rest after having a blast. I better not disturb them.'_ she started to walk again but stopped as a thought came up.

'_Is Natsu with them?'_ the mere thought of his name instantly made her face go beet red.

'_W-well, it's his party after all so why wouldn't he?'_ she looked back at the gates of the guild in front of her.

She then debated whether to go in or not. Several moments later, she finally made a decision.

"There's nothing wrong with me checking on them now, right? Yeah, that's right. I'll just sneak in quietly and check whether they're alright and sound asleep." she confidently nodded her head while in her thinking position.

Erza opened the gates slowly, the creaking sound it made almost made her heart skip beat.

'_Why in the world am I so nervous?! I'm only going to check up on them!'_ she knew the reason why; she just didn't want to accept it.

She slowly walked, afraid that someone might notice her. _'Yosh, a little bit more and -'_

**Because I was too busy looking at you.**

She stopped as her head went up in smoke when she suddenly imagined Natsu saying those words.

"I…better go back." she headed back for the gate and quickly walked away from the guild.

It took a couple of moments before she finally calmed herself down. She need not see a mirror to know that she was blushing furiously. And she didn't like it.

"Dammit Erza, get a hold of yourself!" she mentally slapped herself.

'_I'm losing my cool every time I think about him…and to think he could do it even when he's not around…that Natsu!'_ she gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"No, I'm the one at fault here." she shook her head vigorously. "For crying out loud, he only blurted out those words on a whim! Why in the world am I getting so worked up over it?!" she panted as she yelled to no one in particular. Good thing everyone's asleep.

She sighed. "Why am I getting frustrated over this? Shouldn't I be happy instead? No matter how you look at it, that was definitely a confe—" she blushed again. "a confession…to me." she finished the last one in a whisper.

Instead of getting relaxed from the walk, Erza only felt more lightheaded than before. She knew Natsu was the type of person to openly say what he thinks without thinking what the others would feel. He proved that over and over again. He's simply…that tactless.

'_Wait a minute. If he said those, then there might be a chance after all. A chance, that my feelings aren't one-sided. If it is…then…'_ she smiled slowly, her cheeks still red as ever.

'_This isn't good; I can't keep myself from smiling. Wh-what's happening to me?'_ she covered her face with her hands in the fear that someone might see this side of hers.

'_I loved someone before – Jellal. But even so, this feeling is very different compared to what I felt about him. Why? It's only a mere thought; there's even a chance that it might not go the way I wanted it to be. Yet…'_ a tear fell down her left eye, followed by another.

…

'_Why am I so happy?'_ she forced her tears to stop and raised her head upwards. The moon that she saw earlier seemed brighter this time.

"Natsu, you idiot. For making me feel like this…" she smiled once more. "you have to take responsibility."

…

The lights from the post lamps gave somewhat an eerie feeling to Erza. Though unfazed, she was still amazed at how different Magnolia could be during daytime and nighttime. The bustling city home to Fiore's number one guild looked like a ghost town, almost void of sound. Erza continued walking down the streets, reminiscing the past as she glanced over familiar places. She stopped momentarily as she saw an old-looking store and then continued walking.

'_That was the shop where I bought my very first cake. Though I didn't get to eat it, thanks to him.'_ she smiled at the thought. And as if remembering something, she suddenly stopped.

'_Come to think of it, that happened right after we took a bath together. I bought two pieces of cake and wanted to give the other one to him…I searched for him but I never found him. But when I came back, I found him on the table where my cake was and found out that he…ate both.'_ a vein popped on her head.

"Though it was all in the past…thinking about it still pisses me off." she balled her hand into a fist as she relived those moments.

'_He's really hard to understand. And I thought after that bath he's going to be much nicer towards me. Did I somehow rub him the wrong way?'_ she sighed and continued walking forward.

She then came to another familiar place – Magnolia's South Park…

"This is where the Fantasia parade took place. And that tree was where we found Levi and the others after they were beaten by Gajeel back then. *sigh* Why do these dragonslayers like to piss people off? Well, I guess Wendy is an exception though." she smiled a little as she carefully scanned the park that was dimly lit by the posts around it.

"That festival that happened after Laxus' rebellion…it seemed like it was only yesterday that it happened. Time sure flies." she looked to where Kardia Cathedral was and a smile crept on her face.

**I can trust you too. Right, Erza? And I don't mean on whether it's possible or not! I mean that you'll come out of this alive!**

"Time and time again, you've never let me down, Natsu." She continued walking with her head high up.

"I wonder…"

"Since when have I started to rely on him?" she asked to no one in particular, stopping as she did so.

'_Ever since we were kids I've always been interested in him, but no more than that. He's always been interesting and energetic…and at the same time an idiotic kid.'_ her thoughts slowly wandered back in the past.

"Then again…"

**You know…you should smile always, Erza. You really look pretty when you do.**

'_What did my face look like after he said those words? If he said those to me right now, my head could explode out of sheer embarrassment…that or Natsu could end up badly injured…courtesy of me.'_ she chuckled to herself.

'_But there's no way that could happen right? I'm pretty sure Natsu said those on impulse. But impulse or not…I guess that was the point where I started getting conscious of his presence. I would've fallen for him much sooner if only…if only…'_she clenched her fists as her trademark murderous aura slowly seeped out.

"**IF ONLY THAT IDIOT DID NOT PESTER ME TO NO END!"** she shouted with all her might, regretting her actions a second later for doing so.

"Ow…crap. I forgot what time it is. And my body just tingled in pain after doing it. The gods must be angry at me." she let out a sigh as she collected herself.

Here was Erza, dubbed as Titania, yelling at the top of her lungs while standing in the middle of a park in the middle of the night, on her pajamas. She suddenly found a reason to laugh…at herself.

"Thanks to—Ow!…that, I could only see him as a little mischievous brother, pulling pranks whenever he had a chance. Damn…this is really starting to bother me." she sighed once more as she tried to massage her abdomen.

She looked for a bench and took a momentary rest. The bench, now damp with moisture, felt good to the skin.

'_I guess that all changed, after that incident with Lullaby where he tried to cover up for me by disguising as me. Though he miserably failed in doing so and even managed to get both of us imprisoned…for him to go that far…it really made me happy.'_ Erza stood up and started walking again, unknowingly smiling to herself once more.

She looked at another building as she started walking towards it. And another thought came up.

'_But more often than not, his recklessness just makes me mad. Just like that time when he secretly took an S-Class mission to Galuna Island, dragging both Lucy and Gray in the process. When Master told me what happened I instantly found an urge to punch someone in the face. I mean, just how stupid can he get? And…'_ she momentarily stopped.

"Why didn't he take me with him that time? And to think he even asked Lucy first instead of me. That idiot…was she much more reliable than I am?" she fumed and started walking again.

Needless to say, anyone who knows her would know the reason why. She, who upholds the order inside the guild and someone who wouldn't stand for disobedience, would downright deliver a knuckle to Natsu's head if he ever asked her out on that mission.

'_I was really worried for their safety since I knew just how reckless they could be, that's why I quickly chased them. But…I got worried for nothing. Natsu and the others just proved themselves that they were up for the challenge and managed to finish the mission intended for an S-Class mage – all I did was put in the finishing touches.'_ she continued walking as the cold breeze blew steadily against her body.

She passed another building that was familiar to her – another cake house.

'_They did a pretty good job and I would've openly complimented them for doing so, but the fact remains that they still did it without Master's permission. And thus, they must be punished. But…I never thought that I would get caught up with another mess that made my whole world turn upside down in an instant.'_ she stopped, her face burning up.

'_The shame! And it was his fault too! Who would've thought that my body would get exchanged with a cat's? And with Happy to boot! Not only that, he also groped my b-b-breasts and cosplayed in front of everybody, in front of him, like it's no big deal!'_ her heart raced at the thought.

"I wonder…did he somehow get excited while watching me do that?" she thought hard. _'Well, he is a boy after all. And I don't mean to brag but, I think I'm pretty enough for anyone to fall for me.'_ a confident look along with a wide smirk was plastered on her face.

"But I guess we're scared enough with the situation that befell us to even think of anything other than that. Even I had my share of sleepless nights because of it." she let out another sigh.

'_I really don't get him at all. Sometimes, his head is always filled with mischief – some of it aimed at me. But sometimes, I find him with somewhat…a solemn look on his face while looking back at me. It seldom happens, and whenever I notice him doing so, that look disappears a second later, replaced by a big grin that he usually wears in front of us.'_ she passed another building as she continued walking.

'_It was obvious that he's hiding something from us under that grin of his…well, at least to me. But then again, I have no right to snoop into his past. So I did not pry on it anymore. I thought that as long as he's alright and happy…then that's all that matters.'_ and then she stopped.

'_No…that's not it. I…I wanted…to be close to him. I wanted to do something for him as well, especially after –'_ her cheeks burned beet red. _'…he saved me from that tower.'_

"That clumsy idiot of a boy…who would actually think that he'd end up saving me?" she chuckled. _'No…it wasn't just me. He'd surely go to such lengths without any hesitation to save his comrades. I really am glad to be one of them.'_

'_That incident made me fall for him even more…and I did not regret every bit of it. After all, no matter how I look in the eyes of the people around me…in the end, I still am a girl.'_ she walked, that sweet smile still on her face. _'I can fall in love too, right?'_

Erza noticed that she was getting farther away from the center of the town and towards the outskirts. _'From then on I tried to bury my feelings for Jellal and promised that I would move forward. It was hard…I loved him too. And it pained me so much that I was never able to save him.'_

The houses gradually became fewer as she walked. She recollected her past after that incident and smiled at the fact that she had been together with Natsu ever since then. Though there were a few bumps on the road they traveled, they still managed to stand up and move forward with her nakama. The sadness that she felt back then when Jellal was taken away from her for a second time slowly drifted away because everyone was always there for her—and Natsu was no exception.

'_I was quite surprised that he even went out of his way to fight those Rune Knights just so he could make Jellal stay by my side. That's why, even though it was hard, I never regretted my decision after that. It was very painful for me to lose him again, right before my very eyes… but I don't think I'll be able to bear it anymore if they would have taken him too.'_ she took in another deep breath.

'_Natsu is my light and my hope. The one who redeemed me, and gave me a new lease on life. I…'_

"I love him so…much." Her cheeks flamed as her head swayed left and right excitedly. _'Saying those words publicly, what the heck am I thinking? What if someone heard it? I'm so embarrassed at myself. I couldn't even bear confessing to him now.'_ she sighed.

She contemplated on her lack of courage and her inability to calm down in times like this. She then noticed her surroundings had a lot more grass than paved road.

"Looks like I've walked far enough. Time to go – hmm? This place…" she chuckled. "It seems like I'm being dragged there every time I wander around." and then she started walking again. _'That place again…huh? Well, I guess it's alright to go. It's not like I'm running away from anything anymore.'_

The brick road narrowed until it led into an unpaved path, leading towards the riverbank. She then stopped as she felt somebody's presence and treaded cautiously towards the side of the river. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her as she reached her destination. There were no lampposts near the place, so it was kind of dim. But the moon was bright enough for her to see more than a silhouette of the person who's facing his back towards her – pink hair, black vest and that scaly muffler. She tried to act as normally as possible to hide her surprise as blood quickly rushed to her face. **Seriously?!** – is what her face is trying to say.

**To be Continued**

**If you were reading the story up to this point, then you have my thanks! And sorry, it's another flashback – this time, on Erza's perspective. Do tell me if you have complaints and suggestions…pointing out mistakes is a good thing if one wants to be better at something. Lastly, I apologize again for the late update. See you next week! It's a promise, hehe! **

**RenXRin signing out!**


	10. The Dragon and His Knight in Pajamas

**Okay, guys! Here it is! I hope you'll enjoy the tenth chapter. Because I enjoyed reading it a lot :). By the way, thank you so much to the people that read my story. I hope you'll keep following it until the end lol! I'll try to update faster so please bear with me, okay? Hehe. **

**Now, without further ado, let's go on with the story shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I never owned Fairy Tail and never will. If I did, I would clearly put in an obvious Natsu Erza ship which reminds me, THANK YOU MASHIMA FOR CHAPTER 355! Ah God, fanservice wise, that was just so goddamn awesome. For those that haven't read it, which I'm sure that you did, please do so lol! For a hardcore NatZa shipper like me, that was like a dream come true. **

**Chapter 10: The Dragon and His Knight in Pajamas**

"What are you doing here, Natsu?" his head slowly turned towards her.

"I should be the one asking you that, Erza." came his reply.

The scarlet haired knight went silent for a second, not knowing how to answer his question. Here she was, strolling in the middle of the night, in her pajamas.

"A-a walk. I took a walk." she answered reluctantly, silently wishing that Natsu won't notice her attire.

"In the middle of the night?" he asked once again in a rather calm tone, much to her displeasure.

"Y-you're the one to talk. Well, how about you? What are you doing here?" she replied as calmly as possible though she can't help but twitch an eyebrow with his attitude. _'Dammit. Am I the only one feeling like this? Natsu, how dare you act cool in front of me while I'm bashful enough to bash you senseless!'_ she angrily thought as she awaited his reply.

"Well, I had a lot to think about ever since I came here so I can't sleep." He answered her, in what she calls a **"cool manner"**.

"You mean to say…that you – " she stopped as Natsu faced her and showed his trademark grin.

"Yeah, just like you…I took a walk too!"

A vein popped on her scarlet head, followed by a bonking sound seconds later.

"Ouch! That hurt, Erza!" Natsu complained to the annoyed knight who is now standing beside him.

"Sorry, I just found an urge to do so." She gave him an annoying look while clenching her fist.

She knew clearly that it was not reason enough so she expected a retort coming from him. But none came. She turned her head towards him, and got baffled by the sight she saw. Though the place was dimly lit, with only the moonlight as their light source, Erza could still see Natsu gazing on her, his mouth slightly wide agape. Blood quickly rushed to her head the second after that.

"W-what?" she stammered and regretted her actions a moment later because it made Natsu avert his eyes away from her.

"N-nothing." came his short reply. At that moment, she realized something.

'_Hey wait a minute. It's just Natsu and me right here…in the middle of the night…just the two of us…in this dark and isolated place. Eh?'_

Erza's face effortlessly matched the color of her hair at the thought. Her attention went back to Natsu who was now acting all fidgety. She breathed deep and recomposed herself.

"Is there something wrong Natsu?" she asked.

"N-nothing really. It's just that…you've been staring at me for quite a while now, Erza. Is there something you want to say?" Natsu answered meekly this time, somewhat afraid of something…or a certain someone.

Erza felt like she faced a derailed train running at full speed head-on…and lost.

'_Wh-wh-why are you replying like that?! Why are you making me sound like I'm some pervert taking advantage of the situation?! Just what the heck are you i-i-implying, Natsu?! I'm the freaking girl dammit! If anything, I'm supposed to be the one in – oh forget it! This isn't the time to be thinking about that now!'_ she tried to forcibly cough herself out of the situation and turned away from him as she recollected herself so Natsu wouldn't have any weird ideas.

'_W-wait a minute. If I look at this situation from another angle…isn't this a perfect chance of confessing to him? T-that's right! Instead of thinking like this is some messed up situation, I should think like it's…__**DIVINE INTERVENTION!**__'_ her eyes brimmed with confidence and optimism.

'_You can do this Erza. Don't mess this up!'_ she reassured herself one final time and faced the pink-haired boy again.

"N-Natsu…" she was very thankful that it was dark. That way Natsu can't see how flushed her cheeks are right now.

"W-what is it, Erza?" he replied, his voice quite shaky.

The moment their eyes met instantly gave Erza the urge to run away.

"Umm w-well…the truth is…" going to a comfort room is sounding like a very good idea to her right now. _'Crap…this is even scarier than I've ever thought. Thinking that I'll get rejected by him is just…'_ her mouth suddenly went dry as her eyes became moist.

"I…" she looked at him intently. Natsu was still waiting for her response. _'Natsu…'_

"Can I…sit beside you?" her heart almost stopped breathing.

"Eh? S-sure! Why not?" he grinned back at her and looked somewhat relieved.

He patted the ground beside him, signaling her where she should sit. She sighed deeply.

"Thanks, Natsu." She smiled at him as she slowly sat down.

'_I never thought I could be such a coward. Natsu you jerk. It's really unfair that you get to act so normal in front of me while I'm losing by head here just by talking to you.'_ she let out another sigh. _'Well…I could care less. It's not everyday a chance like this comes. I'm going to savor every second of it.'_ she thought.

Though Erza resigned on her advance and decided to take things a little more slowly, little did she know that she was so wrong about Natsu, in more ways than one. Because unbeknownst to her, Natsu is…already at wit's end.

'_W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!'_ his eyebrows twitched, but of course, Erza couldn't see that.

The darkness that enveloped them proved to be their salvation. It efficiently hid Erza's uncontrollable antics and the fact that Natsu is already sweating buckets even before Erza first greeted him. The situation between them has greatly changed from what it was before, without the two of them knowing of each other's predicament. Erza could easily requip into her cool mannered and stoic self and Natsu could wear his mask more casually before, but their feelings for each other gradually tore their facades down, slowly showing them for who they really are, bit by bit. And the situation right now just made it harder for the two to recompose themselves. After all, who in their right mind could calm their selves down when sitting beside them is the person they secretly loved for years? Definitely not both of them.

'_It was already bad enough that she came when I least expected. Heck, she even saw me staring at her! And now…I made her sit beside me! Nice job, __**ore**__! And that moment back there…I almost thought she was going to confess to me! Ah crap, there's no way that's happening so stop it already! Damn…my heart's beating like crazy I could almost hear it. WOULD YOU STOP BEATING ALREADY?! Then again, that would be bad if that happens, wouldn't it? Hehehe – AHHH! This isn't the time to be joking damn it!'_ Natsu's head is seconds away from blowing up.

He took a quick peek at her,_ 'She's too close…I could even smell the shampoo she used on her hair.' _gulped and looked away the instant he did and blushed harder than ever.

Erza, on the other hand, is also experiencing problems of her own.

'_Is Natsu alright? He hasn't said a word for a while now. Is it because of me? With this kind of awkward silence, how the heck am I going to start a conversation with him? If it's going to come down to this, then I better take the initiative.'_ she thought.

"Natsu." she looked at him worriedly. She'd better let it out now before it creates a misunderstanding to both of them.

The strawberry haired dragonslayer immediately faced her. "What is it, Erza?" he asked her back.

Seeing Natsu's reaction only gave her more unease. "Am I…causing you discomfort?" she anxiously waited for his reply.

Erza's question came as a surprise to him. For a moment, he gazed at her hazel orbs and then…he grinned back at her. "Of course not, Erza."

He could see her breathe a sigh, presumably of relief, which in turn, eased him too. _'What the hell am I doing? To make her worry like this because of me…that's just inexcusable. Now let's try this all over again.'_

"Thank goodness. You seem silent for a while back there, so I thought that maybe I did something wrong." she smiled back at him, her voice much relaxed this time.

Natsu chuckled. "You were actually worried about that? That's **SO** not like you, Erza." and laughed some more, that is until Erza sent him a death glare.

'_As I thought. Maybe I really am an idiot after all. Even if I was gone for a whole year and I just fought her this afternoon, how the hell could I forget how scary she is when she gets pissed off? Crap…that witty remark really did the job. Those glares of hers are already making my hair stand on ends…' _and he shivered some more.

"It's because it's you, stupid." Erza thought out loud, much to their surprise. _'Huh?'_

"W-wha-" Natsu didn't have a chance to ask as Erza's fist instantly bored down his face. He rolled on the ground, wincing in pain as he did so.

"**Nothing! I did not say ANYTHING!"** she shouted at the top her lungs, her cheeks flaring up like red hot chilis.

'_H-how in the world could I mess up like that?! I WANNA DIE!'_ she panted as she desperately tried to calm herself down.

Recovering from the blow, Natsu slowly sat up and looked at his companion while rubbing his right cheek.

"Ouch! You hit me again! Why?!" he complained this time, almost in tears. _'Was I hearing things just now? Or did she just say what I think she said?'_

"Silence! I already told you – " she stopped momentarily, as the feedback from jerking her body suddenly, despite her injuries, finally kicked in.

"Ow!" her hand reached for her abdomen as she tried to massage it.

"Erza! What happened to you? Are you alright?!" That annoyed feeling suddenly changed into worry as he saw the state Erza's in.

Natsu hurriedly went to her side. Her heart raced uncontrollably as she watched him nearing her. _'It's not even his fault and yet…'_

"L-lower…your voice. What time do you think it is? And as for me…I'm fine." she answered him between breaths. _'I really can't reprimand him for doing so, since my voice was clearly louder than his last time.'_ she's blushing again.

Natsu tried to protest. "The hell are you talking about?! You're definitely not okay." he reached out for her but Erza caught his hands first and lightly pressed on it. Now it's Natsu's turn to blush.

"I'm alright, Natsu. You don't have to worry about me. I just haven't recovered from the injuries I took last time." she explained calmly even though her fatigue can be seen on her face clear as day.

He sighed. He knew how stubborn Erza could be sometimes – it's in her nature. But he still can't help himself but be worried though after a few moments, he shrugged it off. If anything, Erza's not the type of person to lie down in bed just because of some injuries. Wait, what? Injuries?

"Eh? But your injuries should be healed by now, right? I mean, Wendy treated you and all. Or I suppose she did." he looked at her and noticed the bandages wrapped all over her body.

And then he finally realized. "…she didn't?"

She looked at him and sighed. "I declined her offer."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "But why?" was all he could ask for.

"Wendy just came from her mission. I know she was tired, so I did not bother her for a trivial request such as this." she explained, but only half of it. _'Asking her to patch me up would sound like me losing for the second time…since you left there without even asking for treatment.'_ she pouted.

"Healing your injuries is not a trivial thing, Erza! What would happen if it got worse?" he raised his voice, clearly worried for the woman in front of him.

She looked at him sternly, stubborn as ever. "Natsu, you know me better than that. I'm pretty sure that you know it won't. And if it does, I don't care. This happened because of my own carelessness and nothing else." Natsu went silent for a second.

And then his other hand grabbed her shoulder, surprising her. "But I do."

"What?" she asked, unsure of what he meant.

"I do care, damn it!" Erza could clearly see his distorted, swelling face, despite the darkness. He was almost in tears. _'Natsu.'_ she was left speechless.

"I do because I…was the one who hurt you, Erza." the slight tingling on her shoulder made her realize that Natsu was shaking uncontrollably.

"I was the one who gave you those injuries. Because of the stupid bet I made, you got hurt so badly. I…" Erza can't see his face anymore as he bowed down his head and is clueless as to how to comfort the poor boy.

Hugging him right now is out of the question for her – she can't even hold his hand properly without blushing madly. The scarlet haired girl ran out of ideas so she only did what she could do at that time. She gently held out her hand, and even though trembling, went for Natsu's cheek and slightly caressed it.

"I-it's alright, Natsu." she tried her best to give him a reassuring smile while hiding her blushing face.

"I'm sorry, Erza." she could hear him sniffing though faintly. _'It was my fault for being so reckless on that fight, yet it was Natsu who apologized. I'm such an idiot.'_

"You can stop crying now, Natsu." she tried teasing him to cheer him up a bit.

And of course, she got the reaction she wanted.

Natsu faced her, teary-eyed and all. "S-shut up! I'm not cry – "he stopped as he got a good look at the situation he's in. And then, he blushed again.

Erza found Natsu's silence weird and she still can't see the deep red face that Natsu is wearing. She was about to tease him some more when it finally occurred to her that they were just inches away from each other and she's been touching him this whole time. Well, both of them actually. She released her hold and distanced away from him.

"I-I'm sorry." She apologized, stammering.

Natsu sat from where he was and was already grinning back at her. "I'm quite glad that you're alright but…you've really been acting pretty weird, Erza. I should be the one saying sorry, so what are you apologizing for?"

Erza looked away from him and miserably failed in coming up with an excuse.

"N-no…it's not like that. I…uh…" she stammered again, her cheeks getting redder.

"I really don't get it, but you have nothing to feel sorry for. If it's about my injuries – look." He flexed his arm in front of her "I'm perfectly fine as it is." and grinned again, making Erza blush harder. _'Your hand was just as warm as it was when you last touched my cheek long ago. How I wished you would've held on much longer…as if I could say that.'_ he sighed.

"I see. Then I'll leave it at that." she replied, her voice laced with annoyance. Natsu did not seem to notice it though.

'_Weird?! Whose fault is it that I became like this you big idiot!'_ she took a quick glance at him, only to find that he was still looking at her, with that big grin of his. And it only made her more conscious of herself.

'_Why won't you notice it already? How am I supposed to stay calm when you're so close to me?'_ the realization only made her more troubled.

"Hey Erza, look." Natsu called out to her.

She turned her head towards him and –

"**BOOOOHAHAHAHAHAHA!"** she was met with a sight of Natsu's literally burning head. Added with his menacing look, that hysterical laughter and the dark surroundings, he looked like a floating head of the devil incarnate the ground had suddenly spewed up in front of her. The sight would normally make one run for his life, or at least make him or in this case, her, scream at the top of their lungs – well, one normally would. And then the fire died out followed by a moment of silence.

…

…

…

"Were you trying to scare me, Natsu?" she blinked once and asked him flatly, with an eyebrow slightly raised.

Natsu just chuckled. "I already knew long ago how fearless you are. I'm pretty sure that would've worked on Lucy though, hehe."

If anything, it was always the other way around.

"Forgive me for not being Lucy then." she averted her sights away from him in irritation. _'Her again?'_

"Actually…I didn't do that to scare you, Erza." she looked back at Natsu who was now looking upwards.

He grinned back at her and gestured her to look up. Her eyes widened.

"In places where the light from the houses and posts won't reach, you can get the best view of the night sky." he continued.

Natsu was right. The countless stars that scattered across the cloudless sky, outlined with a half-lit moon, whose light doesn't outshine the stars beside it yet bright enough for it to be visible by the naked eye. The scene before her was simply, a masterpiece. Erza can't help but feel astounded by all its beauty.

"Isn't the view great, Erza?" he asked her keeping his gaze towards the sky.

"Yeah, it is." she answered while doing the same.

Natsu took a peek at her and was pleased that she was enjoying the view.

"This is the sky that I always look up to every night from that place – my training ground that is. I guess, I kind of just got used to watching it at this time." he looked back again at her and showed his trademark grin.

She smiled back. "But that doesn't explain why you tried to scare back then."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "I just did that to distract you, Erza."

She let out a slight chuckle.

"What?" Natsu asked, somewhat confused by her reaction.

"Nothing. So, why the distraction?" she replied.

Natsu was the type of person to do things for trivial reasons. Erza already knew that. His simple mindedness is just one of the many things she liked about him. Yet –

"You've been spacing out a lot since you came here. I know that you also have a lot of things to think about and I know that I don't have a say in how you go about things. But if I didn't get your attention, you're going to miss out on a lot of things, you know?"

– sometimes he can be so deep that one can't help but feel surprised. Erza also knew that as well.

"Umu, I guess you have a point there." she responded with a nod while keeping her gaze on the night sky.

"Of course I am!" he gave her another satisfying grin.

She chuckled a little. "You've really grown up, Natsu."

The pink haired dragonslayer gave her an annoyed look. "Of course I did! I was gone for a whole year, remember?" he retorted.

She gave him another smile that easily silenced him up. "Yeah, you're right."

Erza continued smiling back at him before looking up at the sky. _'He's right. I've been thinking too much about things to the point that Natsu even noticed it, despite him being so dense. With the way things are right now, there's no way I can enjoy this moment with him. Right, Natsu?'_

She breathed out a sigh of relief as she finally had the chance to relax herself.

She looked again at Natsu, who was still facing her. "Something wrong, Natsu?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now, Erza." his face has a hint of curiosity in it.

"Ask what?" now she's wondering too.

…and then it popped. The question that is.

"Why are you wearing pajamas?" Natsu asked, unknowingly putting his life in danger.

No matter how much she told herself never to get swayed easily by her emotions, Erza can't keep herself from blushing. _'This kid…has no sense of delicacy at all!'_

"I-it's much more comfortable this way. Wearing a tight armor would only worsen my injuries so…I didn't wear them." she brewed up a rather good excuse right in time.

"Aren't you feeling cold with that?" he asked again.

"It's alright. I'm completely –" and then a cold wind blew before them, as if on cue, instantly sending chills down Erza's body " – f-fine."

Natsu immediately stood up and went towards her.

"What are you doing, Natsu? I already told you, I'm alright." she protested but Natsu paid no heed and continued walking in her direction.

"No. You're. Not." he emphasized his point which easily annoyed the redhead.

"Wait, what are you –" she stopped as she felt something warm wrapped around her neck – his scarf.

"You can wear it, for now." he beamed up a smile before sitting back to where he was before.

"But Natsu, this is…" she protested, halfheartedly.

For her, this was just too good to be true.

"Hey, I'm only lending it to you, you know? Trust me, it'll make you feel much better." he grinned and looked up at the skies again.

Erza touched the scarf now coiling around her neck and gently pressed it against her chest. She could feel the warmth of the person who previously wore it, still lingering in it.

"T-thank you, Natsu." she's too flustered to even face him now, so she just stared at the ground.

"It's no big deal, really." he took a glance at her and was pleased that she now looks cozy.

_'It's the least I could do for you, Erza.'_

The scarlet beauty raised her head up and gazed at the countless stars before her.

_'I'm so glad I went out on my pajamas.'_ she smiled at the thought.

Both of them enjoyed the moment of silence they shared as they continued to stare at the heavens. Erza, afraid that she might say something that may cause another misunderstanding, kept her silence while thinking of a brilliant plan to start up another conversation with him. Natsu on the other hand, was satisfied with her sitting right next to him, enjoying the beautiful view together. It was more than enough for him.

A couple of minutes passed before Erza managed to find the courage to speak.

"Say, Natsu." she called for him to which Natsu readily complied.

"What is it, Erza?" he turned to her and blushed as soon as he saw her face.

_'Now that I look at it closely, the scarf…looks so damn good on her. And what's with that somewhat, embarrassed expression? You're already pretty enough without it, damn it!' he sighed. I'm going to lose my mind if this continues.'_ he thought.

"You told me this afternoon that you'll tell me what happened to you a year ago, right?" she asked. _'Calm down, Erza. Think of this as interrogating the enemy.'_

"Yeah, I did. What about it?" he noticed the woman beside him tensing up.

"Well…I-I want you to tell me now." she looked at him worriedly and wondered if she said the right words while, though unknowingly, clenching his scarf.

But Natsu on the other hand, noticed it as bright as day. _'Why is she doing that? It's like she's – no wait. There's no way that can happen…right?'_ he quickly erased the thought as blood quickly rose up to his cheeks.

"Okay." his answer lifted Erza's spirits up in an instant.

"But," and it went down the drain a second later.

"I don't think I can tell you much, Erza." he closed his eyes momentarily as if searching for a memory inside his head.

"Why? Did you do something you can't tell us?" now she's worried, since Natsu's a reckless person. A very reckless person.

Natsu sighed. "Nah. More like I did nothing but train for the whole year. But I already told that to you guys already so I didn't know what to say anymore."

And then Natsu heard something that so rarely happens.

"Pfft." Erza tried to hold down a laugh and covered her mouth with one of her hands.

Her reaction struck Natsu like an arrow and made it hard for him to keep his cheeks from flaming up. But at the same time, he was annoyed too.

"W-What's so funny?" he blurted out, still blushing. _'I knew for a long time that she was pretty…but I never thought she could be this beautiful to look at, especially after that expression of hers. Looks like this isn't a matter of controlling myself anymore. If this continues…I really might do something I'm going to regret my whole life!'_ he contemplated.

"Forgive me if I offended you, Natsu." she stopped laughing and looked at him, her smile still on her face.

This only made Natsu more flustered than he already is.

"I…was laughing at myself." she immediately saw the surprised look Natsu gave to her.

"I always tend to over think such simple things to the point that they don't seem simple anymore. That they happen for a reason that is more than that. That's why when I heard your excuse I can't stop myself from laughing. Because I looked like an idiot for actually thinking so hard over something so simple." she gave him another smile, this time with a faint blush on her cheeks.

He stared at her for a moment and then returned her smile with a big grin. "But Erza wouldn't be Erza if you weren't like that in the first place, right?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she pouted.

Natsu was quick with his reply. "Erza is strict and scary. And…" he thought hard as to what to say next while Erza waited, clearly annoyed by his answer.

"And you always over think things. Yeah, that's it!" his grin just grew wider.

She wanted to voice out her opinion, but refrained from doing so in fear of causing another misunderstanding. _'I'm not always like that. I can be funny too and even make jokes sometimes. And you just repeated what I said at the last part.'_

She sighed. _'This kid…I still wonder how I could've fallen for him. But I guess –' _

"But," Natsu continued, gaining her attention once more.

"You can be awfully kind sometimes, you know? You always put the welfare of others above yours and even risk your life for them. You are overly compassionate and serious in everything you do. And…" he stopped and looked back at Erza who was now staring back at him wide-eyed.

'_Hmm? What did I just – wait?! W-what did I just say back there?! Holy –'_ his cheeks flared up when he realized his little slip-up.

Though he still maintained eye contact, Natsu was already at a loss for words. The same could be said for the redhead knight. She broke their staring contest and looked at the river in front of her. She knew she was already acting weird in front of him. But she can't help it, because that was the very first time she heard Natsu say those words to her. She wanted to say something, but all she managed to speak was –

"And?" she tilted her head little by little towards him, until their eyes locked again.

"A-And?" Natsu asked her again, rather confused.

"You…were about to say something else, right?" Erza could feel her heart beating faster.

The young dragonslayer wanted to make an excuse he can use to wiggle himself out of the tight situation he's in, but seeing the woman he loves sincerely looking at him for an answer made him think otherwise.

"Y-yeah. I think…" he blushed harder. " that you're very cool, Erza." he looked down, not wanting to see her reaction.

Her eyes widened in surprise. _'Is this…what Natsu really thinks of me? Come to think of it, I've never really asked him that kind of question before. I thought that, he's simply scared of me to even think of anything else about me. Cool? He thinks I'm cool?' _her cheeks reddened at the thought.

"I-it's not like I'm the only one saying that. Everyone at the guild also think that you're cool too! And if you aren't one of those, then…" Natsu paused, wondering if continuing would be a good idea or not. "…you wouldn't be the Erza that I know."

He faced Erza who still has that blank expression on her face.

'_I wonder if she noticed. If she did, then I'll tell her everything.'_ he gulped, anticipating what's going to happen next.

Not long after that, Erza's eyes averted their gaze away from Natsu and into the river.

"I-I don't know what to say. T-thank you, I guess. " she tried to hide her embarrassment at failing miserably in giving a proper reply.

Erza felt like curling into a ball – and the cold atmosphere didn't help a bit in bringing down the sudden rise in her body temperature.

'_Clear your mind, Erza! I'm sure that I'm thinking things a bit too much again. Natsu only said those words because I asked him to! It's not like he did it be-because h-he l-l-liked me or anything. It was clearly just an act of admiration. Yes, that's it!_ _He was just...he was just...admiring me. That's all there is to it.'_

She then let out an almost inaudible sigh.

_'Erza, you idiot.'_

"Did you say something, Erza?" Natsu asked.

"No. I didn't." she lied and looked back at him. "Say, Natsu. Mind if I ask one more question?"

"Nope! Go ahead, Erza." was his quick reply.

He never noticed the sad expression that Erza wore in that moment.

_'Should I ask him or not? I really want to know, yet I'm too afraid to find out. Natsu...just what am I to you?'_

"Why did you go to God-knows-where to train by yourself for a whole year?" she tried to hide her fear under that cold serious voice of hers.

"Well I..." Natsu stammered. But he never had a chance of giving a proper response since Erza bombarded him with another question.

"Were you that hellbent on beating me that you had to do that?" now Natsu was quite taken aback.

"Wait, Erza. Why are you suddenly asking me - " he was again interrupted, this time by Erza's hand gesture that told him to stop asking questions back.

"Just...answer me, Natsu. You said you would tell me everything, right?" she bit her lip as unease started filling her voice.

"Why did you leave us like that? Was it only for...the sole purpose of surpassing me?"

Natsu was already worried of Erza's sudden change in behavior. He never thought that their lively conversation would end up like this. He ended up thinking that it was his fault again. But he quickly erased the thought - it can't always be like that, right?

"Well, yeah. And it's not just you. I'm going to beat Mirajane, then Laxus and Gildarts too! And maybe I'll include Gramps while we're at it." he chuckled.

Erza clenched the scarf on her neck. "I…see. Then you'll be aiming for Mira, right?" she asked him again. _'Stop it.'_

"Yeah! And I'm going to beat her too!" his grin grew even wider.

"But you're going to need to have an all new battle plan to beat her since her fighting style is very different from mine." she added. _'Stop it already, Erza!'_

"Nah, I'll just attack her head on and beat her, period. Same goes for Laxus too." she smirked confidently.

"But you just said that it didn't work on me last time. You would know better than to not underestimate Mira." she reasoned out while trying to force a smile. _'Why can't I stop talking, damn it!'_

"Well…I guess it'll work out one way or the other, I think." his smirk was replaced with an unconvincing look.

"Do you…" she clenched her teeth as she desperately tried to calm herself down. _'Natsu…'_

She faced him again "…want me to help you? In your, training I mean."

He smiled back at her. "It's alright. I'm going to be fine as it is, Erza."

"I-I see. Okay then." she felt her throat drying up. She turned her head away from him again.

'_As I thought. Natsu you…' _a tear trickled down her face.

For once, Erza felt how deafening the silence was between them – all she could hear was the sound of her beating heart and the river that flowed endlessly in front of her.

'…_never saw me as more than a friend. Didn't you?' _

The skies, the stars, the situation she's in – they were all so in place that one could think that it's a premeditated setup. And yet Erza found no reason to be happy at all.

She knew how Natsu desperately wanted to be stronger than anyone else. It was because he believed he'd see Igneel much sooner if that happens. That's why he wanted to become an S-Class mage.

'_And also the reason why he wanted to beat the ones currently holding that title – myself included. And since he has already beaten me, he'll head on to his next objective.' _her chest tightened.

'_I know that Natsu has no ill-intentions or whatsoever, but I can't help but think that I'm no more than a hurdle that he needed to surpass to realize his goal. I'm just a stepping stone of sorts. And after making that first step, he'll only face and walk forward, never looking back.' _her knees are aching to stand up and walk away from that place.

'_I should be happy right? Because he's one step closer to meeting Igneel. But somehow, I just can't. Because after this…Natsu is never…going to look my way a—'_

"Hey Erza?" her eyes shot up and her head instantly turned towards him. Natsu is still looking at her.

"Natsu? W-what is it?" she felt suddenly uncomfortable at his gaze on her.

He raised and eyebrow as he caught something. "Were you crying?"

Her cheeks momentarily flared up. "N-no I'm not. W-what do you want anyway?"

"Oh, sorry. Um…since we're talking about beating you and all, can I ask a favor, Erza?" he replied.

She sighed and gave him an annoyed look. "Way to rub it in my face, Natsu. Well, what is it?"

"Hold out your hand like this." he gestured her to follow, to which she complied.

"Like this?" she balled her hand into a fist with only the pinky finger jutting out. _'Hey, wait a minute. This is –'_

"Yeah like that, Erza. Let's do a pinky swear." he showed her his trademark grin again.

"A pinky – wait, what? W-why so suddenly?" it was obvious that she wasn't quite ready with the sudden turn of events.

His grin disappeared. "I…" she could see how serious his eyes were "want you to promise me something, Erza."

She looked at him closely. Stupid and reckless as he is, she knew that he wasn't the sort of person to take promises lightly. However, that didn't stop her from thinking of the possibilities of the events that may come from this. And for some reason, she's blushing madly.

"Hey Erza. Are you listening?" he asked, still holding out his hand.

"Ah?! Err—Yes…S-so, what promise d-do you want me to m-m-make? Just to be sure, I'm not going to b-be forced on something I don't want t-to do, GOT IT?!" she valiantly tried to make her point, contrary to her shaky voice.

"No, I don't think it's anything like that. Wait, what were you thinking just now, Erza?" came his quick reply.

"N-Nothing!" she let out a surprised yelp, to which surprised Natsu too.

She turned her eyes away from him momentarily and sighed. _'Not even a hint of reluctance. Does he not see me as a woman at all? Natsu you insensitive jerk. You should have given yourself time to think before you answered.'_

She faced him again after a few moments. "So, what is it, Natsu? This promise I need to make."

"Well that is…" he breathed deeply "…I want you to promise me that you would protect Fairy Tail with your life." she could hear him breathe a sigh of relief afterwards.

A frown crept up on Erza's face. "Is that even necessary? Whether I promise or not, I am going to protect Fairy Tail…and I am prepared to lay down my life for them. But I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

She then smiled at him. _'Since my life is not mine to throw away anymore.'_

"I know that already." he scowled "But I still want you to say it anyway. Consider it your punishment for losing to me. Hehe." he grinned.

Erza sighed again. She knew he was going to say that, yet she can't help but feel somewhat embarrassed. Even though she just said that she wouldn't be forced to do anything, here she was, going to do just that – and by Natsu of all people. She then smiled a little. It was rare for Natsu to be this pushy for a simple favor after all. The least she could do is accept that task and do it for him.

"Alright. But you better listen carefully. I'm only going to say this once, okay?" after a nod from Natsu, she held out her hand and intertwined her pinky finger with his.

"I, Erza Scarlet, promise to protect this guild, Fairy Tail, with my life." she said in a very dignified manner.

Moments passed, and they're still locking on their fingers. _'Is there something I missed? What am I going to do now?' _she wondered.

"That's a very stiff way of saying it, Erza." Natsu released another chuckle which only made her let out another blush.

"Silence! I-I only did what you said. Now what's next?" her hands are getting moist as her temperature slowly rose.

"This time, it's my turn to promise." he looked at her with a solemn smile that Erza never failed to notice.

'_Natsu…Come to think of it, pinky swears are always done in –'_

"I promise…to protect your life, with mine."

'—_pairs.'_

For a moment, Erza's mind went blank. Natsu, not noticing her, continued with the "Pinky Swear Ceremony" and finished. That was when he noticed that Erza was still staring back at him, her mouth wide agape. A small blush crept on his face. This was the second time today that Erza was left with an awestruck expression because of what he said. He smiled. He finally said it. He gently released the lock on their fingers.

"Natsu…" Erza finally found the voice to speak. "What did you just –" and lost it again when she saw Natsu grinning back at her.

"I've always wanted to say that to you, Erza. For a long time already." he rubbed the back of his head.

'_He wanted to? For a long time? Protect me?! What?! Is this some sort of prank or something? Is Mirajane hiding somewhere and is watching us right now? Or is this even real? Am I dreaming? Please, somebody punch me already!' _her mind was about to go blank once again when she noticed that she's still wearing Natsu's scarf.

'_I'm…not dreaming. Natsu…he actually said those to me.' _Erza continued staring at him, not knowing what to say.

Her head's too jumbled up that all she could mutter was –

"Why?"

For the first time, she noticed it. There was poor lighting, but she definitely saw it. Natsu was blushing.

"Do you remember the first day we met, Erza?" he grinned.

"I still remember how you clobbered me and Gray just because you saw us arguing in the middle of the guild hall." he averted his gaze away from her and diverted his attention again on the ever flowing river – the sound it made as it flowed was ever so faint, as if allowing them both to speak their hearts out without any hindrances.

'_Why are you suddenly telling me this, Natsu? And your expression—your face looks so lively yet for a moment, your voice…sounded like you're being torn apart from the inside. Is it just me? Natsu…just what are you hiding under that grin of yours?' _Erza kept her eyes on him, her heart beating faster and faster.

"That was the first time I got scared by a kid just about my age. I really thought you're going to kill us back there." he chuckled.

Erza felt somewhat relieved. _'I guess that was just my imagination.'_

"Well, you were misbehaving so I had to do it." she said.

"Yeah, I know. And I hated your guts for doing it." he beamed up a smile again at her.

She felt a pang on her chest after hearing those words, but she knows he meant no harm. Natsu paused for a moment and looked at her.

'_I'm sorry, Jellal. I know that I've been selfish all my life, but forgive me this one time. Because if I don't pour everything right now, I'm going to regret it forever.' _he breathed deeply and readied himself.

"You're arrogant and you always think that your actions are always right – even if it meant beating me and Gray over and over again." he continued.

'_What is he doing now? Is he trying to annoy me?' _she thought while keeping her gaze on him.

"But the surprising thing is, you actually backed up your words with action." his face gleamed.

"You're strict yet very compassionate. You used your ferocity and strength to bring order to our rowdy guild. And you did it when you're what – eight?" he chuckled a little and then continued.

"You're so amusing that even though you sometimes mess up and I hated your guts…l…I can't help but admire everything about you." he paused to breathe.

And Erza? Her cheeks were red like cherries. "W-when did I ever mess up?" she asked skeptically, as if fending for her previous actions.

Natsu looked at her and smiled, "Have you forgotten how you and Mira used to fight with each other and ended up doing more damage to the guild than when me and Gray fought?"

"O-oh, I see." she looked away from him, clearly embarrassed. _'How could he remember something that happened years ago so clearly? I guess that clearly left an impression on him.'_

Natsu took a peek at Erza, surprising her again.

"W-what?" she stared back, but it was obvious that she was having a hard time looking straight into his eyes.

"Nothing." he smiled and looked away once more.

'_Acting like that and getting away with it…that's unfair, Natsu.' _she thought.

"After that time when I first took a bath with you, I finally realized that I wasn't the only one carrying a cross behind my back. We all have our share of pasts and painful experiences and yours wasn't any different" he paused again.

"That's when it finally dawned on me. You've suffered the same way as I did, yet you can do so many things that I can't. And it was only after I knew about Jellal and the others that I realized just how much suffering you've been through. And maybe that's why – that's the reason why you wanted to protect this guild so much that you'd be willing to lay down your life for us." Natsu stopped again for a moment as Erza continued to stare at him, baffled by his words.

She knew Natsu could be as serious as he gets when it comes down to it, but she never once thought he knew this much about her – and that fact somewhat irritated her. It is as if, she never knew him at all or that everything that she knew about him was just the tip of the iceberg.

'_Is this, the other Natsu that's hiding behind that grin of his?'_ she thought as she continued to fixate her eyes on him.

His expression changed and became more relaxed. From his face crept out a smile as he reminisced something from the past.

– _I couldn't have lived without Fairy Tail. A world without my comrades is unthinkable. –_

"It was because the guild filled up the whole in your heart Sho and the others left when you were forced to leave them. And slowly but surely, as time passed, the guild became much more than that to you, and that fact scared you." he looked at Erza who was now trembling uknowingly.

"That's why you're trying so hard."

'_No…'_

"To protect each and everyone of us."

'…_No.'_

"Because you feared that when you fail to do so…you'll be left all alone again." his words finally struck Erza's nerve.

"You're wrong!" she yelled at him as she quickly stood up, to which Natsu quickly glanced back at her.

"Erza?" he looked at her worriedly.

"I…" she stuttered, regretting her previous action.

'_How?! How can this idiot in front of me possibly know all those things about me when he can't even…discern my feelings for him?! Natsu…you…'_ she gritted her teeth, her eyes almost swelling with tears, as frustration finally won her over.

That's when Erza finally realized something.

'_Could it be?' _her eyes widened _'His actions…everything that he did…was I misunderstanding it completely?'_

"Erza, are you okay?" Natsu's voice snapped her back to reality.

"U-uh, yeah. I'm…sorry." she calmed down a bit as she sat again.

"Don't be." he smiled back at her, making her feel a lot guiltier at what she just did.

"I was just…kind of annoyed at how spot-on you were…about me." she let out another sigh.

"No, I wasn't." he quickly replied.

Erza quickly snapped her head back to Natsu. "Huh?"

He grinned back at her. "At least, not anymore."

His answer left her more confused. "W-what do you mean?"

His grin disappeared, replaced by a simple smile that somewhat surprised her again.

"That Erza…was the Erza back in the past. The Erza I see now is a person who would acknowledge the strength of her friends and relies on them when the situation gets tough. And…" he paused for a deep breath.

"…I'm really glad that I was one of those few people you could rely on. Thank you, Erza." his words reverberated through her head and took a while before it sunk in.

Erza looked at him closely. Natsu was looking back at her with those eyes that seemed so nostalgic _–_ so gentle and relaxing, yet laced with sadness. _'Those eyes_…_were the very same ones that I saw when I noticed him looking at me back then.' _

She blinked and looked away. If not, it would have been weird for both of them if Natsu saw what happened next. Erza somehow managed to keep most of herself in control, except for her eyes.

'_I…can't believe it. Just what is happening here? It's like Natsu is showing me everything that he's hidden until now…and it's all about me. No Igneel, no Gray or Lucy…just…me. Natsu…I…'_ she felt like jumping onto him in joy as tears trickled down her face into his scarf.

It was a momentary silence for both of them, until Natsu broke it with a little chuckle. Erza secretly wiped her tears away and looked at him.

"Is there something wrong, Natsu?" she asked.

"I-It's nothing. Back there, I kind of got…sidetracked. That must've sounded awkward to hear, right?" he excused himself with that goofy grin again to which Erza took in warmly.

"No, it's alright. I was…very happy that you thought of me that way. Thanks." her smile instantly gave the dragonslayer a serious case of blushing cheeks.

"I-I, uh, o-okay." he stuttered.

'_Maybe…it's not hopeless after all.' _she let out a little sigh of relief as she kept her gaze on him.

"Erza?" Natsu didn't quite understand what the look on her face meant.

"Then? You haven't finished explaining yourself, have you, Natsu?" she asked him back, but even Natsu was aware of the lively tone that came with Erza's question.

"O-of course! Ok, where was I…hmm?" he was lost in his thoughts again. Erza only widened her smile.

'_Talking with him is like riding a roller coaster. He makes me go up and then suddenly takes me into a plunge – and he does it without regard to how I'm feeling. But…I guess…' _Natsu's expression finally lighted up.

"Ah, I got it!" and then, there's that big grin again.

"So, what's next?" she looked at him, eagerly waiting for an answer.

'_Yes…it was just one of those little things…that has made me fall for him even deeper.' _

**To be Continued**

**Well, did you like it? Send in your comments and suggestions! Criticisms are highly appreciated and even rants are welcome lol! Jokes aside, I do hope you enjoyed reading it. I'll start making the next chapter so hopefully, it wouldn't take me another nine months before I could update again.**

**Reedited- Just found out there are missing texts when I uploaded it. Wonder what happened lol. If anyone knows how I can fix this, if it's not so much to ask, I'd like you to pm me just how I can do so. It'd be a great help. By the way, happy holidays everyone! **

**RenXRin signing out!**


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